Former NYCFC fan favorite Valentín Castellanos is on the move again

When someone asks a New York City FC fan who their favorite player is, past or present, many will say Valentín Castellanos. The fan favorite turned into a star for the team and Major League Soccer, and it was not shocking that Europe came calling after his brilliant 2021 season. The center-forward first made the jump via a loan move in the summer of 2022. Now, he is reportedly heading to his third team in Europe since leaving the Pigeons.

At first, Castellanos went to Girona FC on loan before making a permanent move to S.S. Lazio in the summer of 2023. Now, after two and a half years in Italy, Fabrizio Romano is reporting that the Argentine is heading to England. He will join West Ham United F.C. for about 29 million Euros, ending his time in Italy.

NYCFC fan favorite Valentín Castellanos is leaving Lazio

In some ways, it is intriguing that the former NYCFC player is leaving Lazio. He had a tough start, scoring just six goals in all competitions. But in the 2024-2025 season, he scored 14 times, improving his work on the pitch. It was thought that Castellanos just needed to adjust, but he has been slightly struggling this season.

He only has two goals and three assists, but his production can be blamed on the hamstring injury that kept him out for about a month. Still, he never became the player he was expected to be with the Serie A side.

Truthfully, it might have been better if Castellanos stayed with Girona. He scored 14 goals, and fans all over the world are familiar with his performance against Real Madrid in April 2023. The striker scored four goals to lead Girona to a 4-2 win. He absolutely dismantled the La Liga giants, and that game really put his name out there. That is part of why he made his way to Italy and why NYCFC was able to sell him for $15 million.

But now, despite not living up to the high expectations that Lazio and the club's supporters had, he is moving to England. It is interesting since West Ham is struggling immensely this year. The Premier League side is facing relegation as they are in 18th place. They have only three wins, and cannot seem to figure out how to produce positive results.

By joining West Ham, Castellanos is putting more pressure on himself than he did at Lazio. The team will rely on him to score and hopefully make their way out of relegation. If he can find the magic he had in 2021 with NYCFC, then it is very possible he could be the hero that the London side needs.