West Ham are reported to be in a transfer battle with Wolves for the signature of Lazio striker Taty Castellanos, as Graham Potter looks to reshape his squad ahead of next season.
The 26-year-old Argentine forward-and former MLS Golden Boot Winner-joined Lazio from Girona in the summer of 2023. Initially playing second fiddle to club icon Ciro Immobile, Castellanos was promoted to the starting XI after Slaven Bilic’s big mate Igor Tudor replaced Maurizio Sarri in March 2024. Since then, he’s become a central figure in Marco Baroni’s side.
Castellanos has impressed in Serie A and European competition, netting 14 goals and providing eight assists in all competitions this season.
At the London Stadium, the situation surrounding current striker Niclas Füllkrug continues to evolve as C&H reported earlier today. The 32-year-old German recently made a public pledge about staying at the club for the long haul, but the reality behind the scenes appears to be quite different.
A reliable source has told Claret & Hugh that West Ham are open to selling Füllkrug this summer and are aware they’ll take a loss on the former Borussia Dortmund forward. The club is planning a major overhaul, and should the right offer arrive, Füllkrug could be moved on.
That said, reports of Castellanos replacing the German seem less believable than other targets. Potter and right hand man Kyle Macaulay have been reported as concentrating on the Scandinavian and South American markets in an effort to find value.
Therefore, buying an in-demand 26 year old from Serie A might not be the first thing the Hammers look to do in the Summer. This one has the look of agent generated transfer talk.