Zapata played for Udinese prior to joining Villarreal for a single season (2011-12). His capture by Milan came as a surprise but the Rossoneri have been in desperate need of defensive reinforcements following the sale of Thiago Silva to PSG and the departure of veteran centre-back Alessandro Nesta ahead of the 2012-13 season. Zapata has yet to live up to the performances which caught the attention of clubs while he was playing for Udinese.