Newcastle United had a bid for Atalanta striker Duvan Zapata rejected last week, says journalist Ryan Taylor.

According to the Daily Express reporter, the Tyneside club were looking to bring the 30-year-old in on loan with an an option to buy but have failed in their attempts.

What is the latest news involving Zapata?

Newcastle are interested in signing Zapata, with El Tiempo claiming that the Magpies have agreed personal terms with the player.

Getting Atalanta to sell, however, is proving much more difficult, which is more than understandable. 

The Colombian continues to be a key player under manager Gian Piero Gasperini, scoring nine goals in 16 league appearances this season.

Zapata has also registered three times in the Champions League, including against Manchester United, showing his goal threat.

Ultimately, in their bid for Premier League survival, it is hardly a surprise that Newcastle are looking at a player like the £29.7m-rated Colombia international.

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What has Taylor said about Zapata to Newcastle?

Taylor has told GIVEMESPORT that Newcastle put in a bid last week to secure Zapata's services but saw it knocked back.

Speaking to GMS, the Daily Express journalist said: "Duvan Zapata, there was a bid rejected last week, which was a loan plus option to buy."

Would Zapata be a good signing for Newcastle?

If they can get a deal done, then absolutely. His record in Serie A over the last few seasons has been excellent.

In the last campaign, Zapata managed to bag 15 goals, while the term prior, he registered on 18 occasions. 

The former Napoli man's best season to date, though, came in 2018/19, when he was able to score an impressive 23 goals in 37 appearances.

On Zapata, South American football expert Tim Vickery recently said: "He is a beast, he is a fearsome prospect there and he can look after himself up front with a lot of talent as well."

When it comes to strengthening their frontline, Newcastle have at least been able to bring in Chris Wood from Burnley after activating a £25m release clause in the New Zealand international's contract. However, if they are to stay up, they may need a little bit more than that. Could Zapata be the solution?

On paper, it certainly seems so, but you would suspect that getting him out of the Gewiss Stadium is going to be an expensive operation. No club would want to lose a player of Zapata's quality, especially this late in the transfer window.