West Ham United ‘agree £25m deal’ to sign Taty Castellanos after ‘competing’ with Leeds United

West Ham United ‘agree £25m deal’ to sign Taty Castellanos after ‘competing’ with Leeds United

West Ham United have reportedly reached an agreement to sign Taty Castellanos in a £25 million deal, beating competition from Leeds United.

The striker has been playing in Italy since 2023 after leaving New York City FC to join Lazio in Serie A.

During his time in Italy, Castellanos has scored 22 goals in 97 appearances, form that has helped earn him a place in the Argentina national team.

However, the 27-year-old now appears set for a new challenge in the Premier League. According to The Times, West Ham have moved ahead of Leeds to secure his signature, with a deal now agreed.

Castellanos had long been on Leeds United’s radar, dating back to his MLS days, but it now looks increasingly likely he will be heading to London instead.

West Ham are currently battling to avoid relegation and view the forward as someone who could provide the cutting edge needed to climb away from the bottom three.

As for Leeds, goals have not been a major concern recently, largely due to the impressive form of summer signing Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Lukas Nmecha has also contributed positively after joining on a free transfer.

With Daniel Farke now favouring a two-striker system, Leeds could still explore options in the current transfer window. However, securing proven quality midway through the season is rarely straightforward.

Joel Piroe remains an option within the squad, although Farke has been cautious about relying on the Dutchman in Premier League action.

Meanwhile, teenage prospect Harry Gray has yet to feature in the league this season, despite brief appearances in the Championship last term. Talk of a possible loan move had surfaced earlier in the window, but that speculation has since cooled.