Aston Villa and Chelsea are all set to battle it out for the signature of Bologna attacking sensation Santiago Castro.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport via Sport Witness, Santiago Castro could be heading to the Premier League in the upcoming transfer window as Chelsea and Aston Villa are set to battle it out for his signature. His impressive rise at Bologna has resulted in interest from the English clubs, who are now gearing up to make a move.
After coming up the ranks and making a name for himself while playing for Velez Sarsfield, Castro joined Bologna at the start of 2024, and he has only gone from strength to strength since. The 21-year-old Argentine striker has been involved in a total of 75 matches and has contributed towards 26 goals.
The South American attacker was off to an impressive start to the season, as he contributed towards five goals in his first nine league outings. And Santiago Castro’s progress has not gone unnoticed.
Castro heading to the Premier League
While Santiago Castro is going through a lean patch of late, despite the dip in form, the interest in his services seems to be quite high. Chelsea and Aston Villa have emerged as potential destinations for the 21-year-old.
The Blues added Joao Pedro and Liam Delap to their squad in the last summer window. But with Liam Delap struggling with injuries, the West London club are considering adding another striker to the mix, and Castro is considered an ideal fit for their project.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa are looking for someone who can replace Ollie Watkins in the long run, and the 21-year-old is seen as an ideal candidate. Both clubs have sent officials to Italy to watch Santiago Castro in action.
Scouts from both clubs are quite impressed with his overall gameplay, and they are set to make a move for him. Aston Villa have been monitoring him for almost two years now, and they are finally ready to step up their interest.
Bologna are reluctant to lose Santiago Castro
Bologna, who value him at around €40-50 million, have no intentions of sanctioning his departure anytime soon. With his contract running out in 2028, they are looking to hand him a new deal to keep potential suitors at bay.
The Serie A club are ready to hand him a new deal with improved terms. The new deal will increase his wages to €800,000 per year with €400,000 bonuses. It will run until 2029, and Bologna will have an option to extend it by another 12 months. Since both English clubs can match those terms, it will be interesting to see where Castro plays his football next year.
