Nottingham Forest are back in the race to sign New York City star Valentin Castellanos, according to TNS Sport. The Argentinean talisman was on Dane Murphy’s radar as recently as January and now the Reds are keen again.
The striker looks set to leave the MLS this summer. Like many forwards before him he looks set to head to Europe; with the Reds joining Leeds United and West Ham in the chase to secure his signature before the start of the season.
Castellanos has been with New York City since 2018 when he initially joined on loan from CA Torque. He has been a real hit and during the current campaign, he’s scored 11 goals and claimed five assists for the club.
The 23-year-old will likely cost around £8 million. Interestingly, he has been linked with a move back to his homeland recently with River Plate interested in his services.
During January, Forest stuck him on a three-man shortlist featuring three overseas strikers. Castellanos was joined by Inter sensation Martin Satriano and Benfica gem Goncalo Ramos.
The closest the MLS man came to moving was to Brazil, however. Palmeiras made him a transfer priority but an agreement couldn’t be agreed upon between all parties.
Castellanos is a real handful on the pitch. He’s uncompromising in stature and 11 of his 53 goals in the MLS have come from his head.
Forest back in for Castellanos and he could be ideal for the Reds
The Reds will want their attacking ranks to be well-stocked ahead of the 2022/23 Premier League campaign. As a result, Steve Cooper and the recruitment team could well be in the market for more than one striker.
Castellanos fits the role of a number nine perfectly. Indeed, his aerial presence would certainly give the Reds another string to their bow when it comes to their style of play.
Signing him won’t come easy of course. With established Premier League clubs like West Ham and Leeds both interested, Murphy might have to work his magic to convince Castellanos to check in at Forest.
Castellanos would be a very useful addition to the ranks though. He might not be the club’s number one priority but he certainly possesses the attributes to star to do a job in the Premier League.
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