Everton wanted to sign 27-year-old Argentine international Valentin Castellanos from West Ham United with a deadline-day bid.
According to a report by TEAMtalk, Valentin Castellanos was the subject of interest from Everton. The Toffees were eager to reinforce their offensive unit by signing a striker in the summer transfer window, and they set their sights on the 27-year-old West Ham United attacker in the final hours of deadline day.
Per TEAMtalk, Everton established contact to discuss a possible deal for Castellanos after “their attempts to land” other targets faltered. They were ready to offer a package worth £45 million, with a base fee of £40 million to tempt West Ham. However, the report suggests that while the Hammers were ready to cash in on the South American striker, they had little time to source a replacement and hence blocked a move.
How has Valentin Castellanos fared since his West Ham United transfer?
Valentin Castellanos, also known as Taty Castellanos, has been a top-notch performer since joining West Ham United from Lazio in a deal worth £30 million earlier this year. While the 27-year-old would have hoped to score more goals, his output of seven goals in 22 appearances for the East London club was decent, as he has found the back of the net every 244 minutes.
The Argentine striker has been solid in the early days of the 2026/27 season, scoring three goals and providing one assist in six appearances thus far. However, his long-term future at the London Stadium has been uncertain since West Ham’s relegation from the Premier League. A return to the Premier League late in the summer transfer window appeared to be on the cards.
A failed Premier League return
Widespread reports linked Valentin Castellanos with several well-known clubs in the summer transfer window. From the Premier League, Fulham contemplated a move before zeroing in on Gonzalo Garcia as the top target. However, Everton also attempted to seal a last-gasp deal.
The West Ham striker has been on Everton’s wishlist for a long time. The continued interest has been understandable, as Thierno Barry is the only specialist striker in David Moyes’s squad after the Merseyside club allowed Beto to join Fiorentina. Folarin Balogun, Joshua Zirkzee, and Tammy Abraham thus emerged as Everton’s targets, but the moves for all three players fell flat.
Balogun, in particular, seemed to be on the verge of joining Everton from AS Monaco, but declined a move despite being at the Merseyside club’s training facilities. So, Castellanos emerged as an alternative, and he was a solid alternative for the USMNT international. However, West Ham blocked the move, and Everton must wait until the January transfer window to land a striker now.
