What does Valentín Castellanos' move to West Ham United mean for NYCFC? | OneFootball

When the January transfer window opened for multiple European leagues, reports had former New York City FC player Valentín Castellanos leaving S.S. Lazio, the team he joined in 2023. Journalist Fabrizio Romano said the Argentine was heading to West Ham United F.C. and would sign a long-term contract.

So, on Monday, West Ham announced the signing of Castellanos on a "four-and-a-half year contract with the option for a further year." The forward initially signed for five years with Lazio, but despite an okay run, Italy did not completely go the way that he or any NYCFC fans wanted it to go for him. For Lazio supporters, 22 goals in 98 matches were not good enough. Now, he signs for a team that supposedly had interest in him a few years ago.

Valentín Castellanos can impact NYCFC in England

Alas, he has a chance to build a name for himself in Europe and hopefully help West Ham stay in the Premier League. The team is currently in the relegation zone, as they are in 18th place. Hence, Castellanos knows he has to score goals to help his new team. But what does the move mean for the Pigeons?

The easy answer is that the Premier League is arguably the most recognized league in the world. So many English teams are known by people across multiple countries. Hence, by playing for the Hammers, Castellanos can become a more recognized and well-known player. This might lead people to look him up, in which they would see that he played for NYCFC.

Moreover, if the 2021 Golden Boot winner in Major League Soccer does well with West Ham, then NYCFC can use Castellanos as a recent example of a young player who developed with the club and then played in La Liga, Serie A, and the Premier League. Similar to Jack Harrison, he can be utilized as a persuasion tool to sign other young players with potential. In other words, players should come to NYCFC because they could play in Europe in the future.

Then, thanks to a sell-on clause, the Bronx side will receive a certain amount of money from Lazio's sale. It is unknown how much the team will receive, for the fee West Ham paid for the striker is not known. It is believed to be somewhere between 20 and 30 million euros based on the multiple reports. Nevertheless, the Pigeons will receive something in the end.

Hopefully, NYCFC fans will see Castellanos shine in England and prove to everyone that he is a great striker. With West Ham's struggles, it will not be easy, especially when joining the team in January. Whether he can be a hero and save the Premier League side from being relegated for the first time since 2011 is unknown.