Valentín Castellanos has officially returned to New York City FC after a successful year on loan with Girona FC. Many thought he would have made a permanent move before the 2022 season or last summer, but nothing came to fruition. As such, he spent the previous season in Spain, and now will be on the move this summer.
Castellanos, who can play both as a striker or winger, has a lot of suitors, and it is not shocking. The Argentine scored 14 goals in all competitions, with nine of the 14 occurring in the second half of the season. More importantly, the match that truly put him on the map was his four-goal thriller against Real Madrid CF.
NYCFC star, Valentín Castellanos, will move this summer
But where will the NYCFC star go? At first, rumors had the striker moving to S.L. Benfica in Portugal. This was the top club mentioned since the end of Girona’s season, but the move could only occur if the sale of another player occurred, likely Gonçalo Ramos.
In addition, Sevilla FC and West Ham United F.C. have been mentioned as well. It was Benfica though that was the top team, but now according to TyC Sports, that move has broken down. Instead, Società Sportiva Lazio is now the front runner in the Castellanos sweepstakes. Negotiations have apparently begun, and the Italian club will possibly be the new home for the Argentine.
On the other hand, the Italian site, TMW, is claiming that Benfica is still the front runner. Lazio is rather interested, and has not made an offer.
At this rate, it would be insane if a move does not occur for the NYCFC legend. Truthfully, there is no question that he will be going elsewhere in Europe, and to a top league. If a deal is not able to be reached with a club, then Castellanos would see another loan move. However, that is not likely, because there are clubs that want the services of the forward.
It is an exciting time for Castellanos, and where he will play next is in question. New York City FC will see their star continue to follow his dream, and hopefully he moves to the right club this summer.