West Ham are dangerously close to relegation, and the uncertainty around the club is already starting to create noise around several players.
Taty Castellanos only arrived from Lazio in January, chasing what had long been seen as a dream move to the Premier League. A few months later, though, the mood around the striker feels very different.
Now the discussion has shifted from why he joined to how long he could actually stay.
“Will not play in the Championship”
Italian journalist Marco Mampreso now claims Castellanos has no intention of playing in the Championship if West Ham go down.
Relegation is not mathematically confirmed yet, of course. But not even his wonder goal against Newcastle could make a difference in this fight. The Hammers are hanging by a thread and the situation is already sparking transfer chatter around the squad.
According to the report, Castellanos is “destined” to leave London after only six months if the drop becomes official. That naturally puts a few markets on alert straight away.
Flamengo still there in the background
They never get away. Flamengo are once again being linked with the Argentine striker after admiring him long before his move to West Ham.
We covered multiple times how the Brazilian side internally always viewed Castellanos as a near-perfect stylistic fit. At the time, any move depended heavily on West Ham’s league status and the player’s willingness to return to South America.
Mampreso’s reports did the rounds in Argentina and Brazil over the last couple of days. However, the Rio de Janeiro side are still the only club credited with interest.
That picture now looks a lot more realistic, specially considering the direct line between clubs after the Lucas Paquetá deal.
Other clubs will be watching too
Castellanos still has a strong reputation in Italy after his Lazio stint, and any suggestion he could become available quickly – potentially at a more accessible price – will attract attention elsewhere too.
Only months ago, the move to West Ham was being framed in Italy as another sign of Premier League financial dominance. Now there is already growing talk about whether the whole thing could end almost as quickly as it started.
