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So what do we know about Cristian Zapata?

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Udinese centre back Cristian Zapata told Colombian radio station La Fm that there is interest from Liverpool:

“I have some options. Bayern Munich and Liverpool are two real possibilities for me. We are pretty close to those clubs and those are my options and I hope they come true. I haven’t heard much from Arsenal, that possibility seems to be at a standstill at the moment. The Liverpool option is the most serious one.”

Whether he is actually the Reds’ primary target we will have to see, but what do we know about the Colombian?

Zapata started out life with Deportivo Cali in the Primera A in his native country and his impressive displays got him a call up to Colombian U20 squad for the 2005 World Youth Championships. At the tournament he helped Colombia to the last 16 where they lost outto Argentina.

Impressing a both club and international level, Italian Serie A club Udinese bid for the player, along with his Deportivo Cali club mate Abel Aguilar, and he moved to Italy for the start of the 2005/06 season. Zapata had only played 17 league games back home for Deportivo Cali, and despite being relatively inexperienced aged just 18, he became a regular in the Italian club’s side.

After 20 league appearances in his first season, he made 35 starts in Serie A in the following 2006/07 campaign. In 2007 he made his international debut for Colombia and was awarded a new contract in October 2007 to keep him in Udine until the summer of 2012.

Described as a strong, athletic and quick defender, he is also versatile and can play at right back as well as in his favoured centre half position. He also two footed although his right side is his strongest. At 6ft 2, he is a relatively tall defender but has an excellent jump to win a disproportionate amount of headers. He’s also an efficient passer and a good tackler.

Named in many Italian football website’s team of the season, Zapata is now 24 and beginning to develop into a top class centre half. Only having 12 caps for Colombia may however hamper any move to the Reds as he will need to have played 75% of internationals in the last year to qualify for a work permit, although nobody quite seems to know whether he currently has dual nationality by possessing an Italian passport. If you have any information on this please place your info in the comments section below.

Here’s a clip of Zapata’s performance versus AC Milan this season, thanks to RedNigerian:

[youtube GPr0XDukuaA&lc=FqXOzYp5tqRgtzns9nYWAWvpMjWHc5KZWBPhp7D2lZ4&feature=inbox]

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32 comments

  • Ross Henry says:

    Italian passport = EU National and therefore he would be entitled to play (work) under Article 45 of the TFEU (Freedom of Movement for Workers) for us in England as a Member State without any restrictions whatsoever.

  • Cok Matt says:

    i hope he will be our best defender next season. why untill now LFC still cannot get Mamadou Sakho yet??

  • Grayman says:

    Very good player. Not our first link to him either. Certainly better than the likes of Jones and Dann.

    G

  • stan howard says:

    we were well off for midfielders – we needed a left back, a centre half, a winger and a proven striker – we get a midfielder – a midfielder – a midfielder – WHAT ARE WE DOING ?

    • Chuck says:

      What are we doing? We’re negotiating deals for a left back, a centre half, wingers and an upcoming striker. We are also trying to negotiate with Blackpool for a midfield playmaker.

      Problem?

  • Eric says:

    Finally Liverpool are looking at top class foreign talent and not overrated and overpriced British alternatives like Jones, Dann and Roger Johnson. It’s a great relief that Liverpool didn’t pay 20m for Jones as that clearly would mean that the club would not be looking at Zapata now. The 9m signing of Zapata would surely strengthen up Liverpool’s shaky defensive line and this guy will no doubt add physical strength, pace and aerial ability to the team. Zapata’s arrival should also signal the departure of Soto. Liverpool now need to focus on attracting quality foreign talent instead of paying way over the odds for average British players.

    • Meireles says:

      LFC have extended Soto Kyrgiakos’s contract by a year…

      • Andy H says:

        Actualy we maybe extending Soto’s contract if you read the article in the Echo you will find it said if we sign another centre Soto would leave

  • stan howard says:

    chuck – problem YES, CHARLIE ADAM IS ANOTHER MIDFIIELDER

    • Chuck says:

      We have energetic screening players in Lucas and Spearing.
      Attacking midfielders in Gerrard and Meireles.
      A potential box to box midfielder who plays predominantly on the right of midfield in Henderson.
      Playmaker? Well, Aquilani wants to remain in Italy.
      We need a playmaker and King Kenny wants Charlie Adam is who he wants for the role.

      Meireles, Gerrard, Lucas, Spearing, Henderson and Adam will be great. We cannot afford to be derailed by injuries. Getting into top 4 is essential. We cannot wait for another season. So what if a player may be on the bench for a month or two. The team will always come before the individual.

      See that list of six? Imagine we play 433 under Kenny. What if we’re away to Stoke, home to United and away to City. Gerrard will miss the first two games with a knock and Lucas has a 3 match ban. Having Henderson, Meireles, Spearing and Adam will still be good to compete, pick up points and continue momentum.

      I don’t think the signing of Adam is being done instead of another player. We will add the players we need and the management team realises what the stakes are. 6 into 4 doesn’t go…

    • chuck says:

      and? if we buy the needed players then who cares. Extra depth is good I say!

  • stan howard says:

    well chuck here is my Problem – will we have any money left by the time we have bought a team of midfielders – may i explain my problem chuck, we should get the players for the positions we need most FIRST. if we buy downing then we really dont know what we are doing – you are talking about a club that sold all its stikers and never replaced them, then the useless hodgson came in and unbelievably still never replaced them and we saw the results of that, i had a problem with that at the time but it never stopped the madness if they get those players we really need then i will no longer have the problem.

    • Carroll9 says:

      You know life isn’t always as simple as you lay it out. We have no idea what is going on behind the scenes. Some deals maybe easier to complete than others. It may be that we are in negotiations for players in the positions you’ve stated we need, but the Henderson, Zapata and Adam deals may be easier to complete. You may go on a night out and get 5 girls numbers. You always arrange the date with the ones that get back to you first. This is the same with football transfers. You can start negotiations but some will transfers get done quicker than others. So, relax and lets wait and see what happens before ranting whilst the transfer window has barely began.

    • chuck says:

      we do have ngog kuyt carrol and suarez. possibly connor wickham so shut up!

  • Chuck says:

    Stan, I understand your frustration and passion for the club. I too am not happy at being strongly linked with Downing and I hope that Alex McLeish will hold onto him for another year as a sign to the supporters that he can be trusted. He’ll have to do a lot to win fans over and keeping a player of the year with 2 years left on his contract will help. Hopefully that’ll be the case!

    Remember, we can confirm transfers for domestic transfers in June. The European window opens in July. I think the approach is this:

    1) Try to sign the players we want domestically and any interesting free transfers in this month.

    2) From July, focus on the European transfer market because in July, we won’t be distracted by any domestic deals because we’ve done the ones we want.

    At this time, we’re working on closing deals domestically and setting up deals abroad. I think we’re not working by players we need first but by the players who we can sign and confirm now: Henderson (signed), Adam, Wickham, Clichy/Enrique. By July 1st, Liverpool want to have signed these players and will focus on the centre back and European wingers who can get us into top 4 assuming we don’t buy the likes of Dann, Cahill Downing or N’Zogbia.

    I think it makes sense and I’m proud of the Liverpool management team showing strategy and swiftness missing from previous years. I also believe there is money. We won’t sign a player to the detriment of another position.

    FSG know Liverpool need to get back into the top 4 this season. Not next. So they won’t sign Adam and lose focus on others. Just wait and see. Players staying at the club, attracting better players in the future, sponsorship, financial planning and a whole lot more hangs on getting into the top 4 next season because this will be our 2nd season away from the Champions’ League and a 3rd will mean we just aren’t a Champions’ League club anymore…

  • hadi lfc fan says:

    who is he!!?? if we need defender we should get same 1 who play in premier league

    • Chuck says:

      Just because you don’t know who a player is doesn’t mean he isn’t classy. Zapata has been a consistent and physically capable centre back in Serie A for the past 5 seasons. He’s now 24. Trust me, this guy would add what we lack in central defence.

      I used to be a Serie A nut but watch less of it now, only a game here and there. It’s well known he’s one of the top defenders and Udinese qualified for the Champs’ League. Imagine Bolton finishing 4th with Cahill but playing some of the most attractive football around.

      It’s actually good to watch football outside of England and broaden your reading lists. Check this out and find out a bit more…

      http://www.whoscored.com/Blog/ioQAxXI73Uyko5h5D3mzZQ/Show/Cristian-Zapata-Vincent-Kompany%E2%80%99s-Ideal-Defensive-Partner-at-Manchester-City

  • stan howard says:

    chuck, you talk or write a good game alright. we definately need a left back and a classy but solid centre half with a presence just like barcelona, chelsea, and man u. we need a goalscorer i’m ashamed to say i,m worried about andy carroll fitting in, he needs the right service and we have not been giving him that. to cover ourselves we have to have another goalscorer.
    as for a winger raheem stirling is better than downing now, i really believe this, i expect him to be a 50 million player in a couple of years, and he will be ready sometime this season, he is unstoppable now and he will be unstoppable in senior football too.

  • Dale Kerrigan says:

    Why don’t you lot all stop bellyaching and let KK do the right thing. From what I can see were sorted up front bar a backup, same situation at Goalkeeper, therefore the real first team areas of concern are the types of players we seem to be in the market for namely Midfielders and Defenders, what’s the problem?

    • Andy H says:

      Well said KK is the boss and in him I trust, if people don’t like what he’s doing then can they kindly go support someone else

  • Gerrardious says:

    Seriously?? u expect us to start d season with a 16yr old unproven player. trust me, av seen the guy play and I believe he’s got more magic and the potential to be a lot beta than DOWNing, but still, we’re talkin about the premiership, not U-18 league. I hope Sterling n Suso get a litu game time dis season, but if we rush them n put pressure on dem, we risk hamperin their progress. havn’t u learnt anything from what happened to Insua.

  • ali lukman says:

    I think we should let KK and Cammoli do their jobs,besides I don’t think we know better than they do, do we?While history will testify to that,KK has proven himself over the past decade as a tactical genius and have all that it takes in his bag of expedience to make the best choice.

    Football is not all about having world class players,however there are other factors as well…for example,compare our match against city @ anfield,arsenal @ the emirate,fulham @ craven cottage and just to mention a few…football is about: playing for the shirt,believe,passion,team cohesion,sticking to a game plan and never say die attitude…With KK currently at the helm of affairs, all things are possible.

    LFC is heading back to its glory days,and yes we can.we must be positive in our thoughts, for they become a reality.

  • gerard says:

    Zabata is capable of playing in the central defence as well as a defensive midfield. So, it’s nice if Liverpool can have such a versatile player.

  • stan howard says:

    gerardious, you have seen stirling play – then you should know age wont matter he is unique and unstoppable.

  • stan howard says:

    not the under 18 league ? flannagan and robinson and kelly and spearing do they look out of place and he is much more talented, and i think kelly is going to be an england regular for the next 10 years.

  • chuck says:

    yes but with youth comes inexperience, he is still a raw talent, give him time…

  • chuck says:

    that stands for stirling AND kelly

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