Zapata’s future at Atalanta was under the scanner until the last minutes of the transfer window due to interest from the Premier League.
Newcastle United had talks with Atalanta but ultimately decided against signing the forward in the winter transfer window.
West Ham were the club pushing to sign him on deadline day and the deal became a possibility hours before the window closed.
The negotiations were complicated and a deal was put together between the clubs and his representatives in the final hours of the window.
The presence of multiple agents on the Italian side made it complicated, but West Ham made considerable progress towards signing the Colombian.
An agreement was reached and paperwork was exchanged between the two clubs with still time left in the window.
West Ham and Zapata even signed a deal-sheet and it was sent to Atalanta for them to ratify the agreement.
But the Italian side went missing in the final hours of the window and ultimately the deal collapsed.
And West Ham ended the January window without the striker they badly wanted.
