Blow for West Ham as first-team star gives club ‘official’ notice of his desire to leave – report

West Ham United have been dealt a major blow with Taty Castellanos reportedly informing the club of his desire to leave this summer.

The Argentine forward was among a select group of first-team players the Hammers were keen to retain following their drop into the Championship. Manager Nuno Espirito Santo had hoped to preserve a core of top-flight talent to aid an immediate promotion push.

So far, Jarrod Bowen, Tomas Soucek, and Mads Hermansen have committed their futures to the club, with Konstantinos Mavropanos expected to follow. The final two names on Nuno’s retention list were Castellanos and El Hadji Malick Diouf.

Last week, it emerged that Castellanos’ representatives were actively exploring options for their client, while Diouf became the subject of a rejected bid from Brentford. Now, reports indicate that Castellanos has formally told Nuno and the West Ham hierarchy that he wants to engineer a summer departure, with Spain his preferred next stop.

Castellanos eyes La Liga move

According to Vamos Mi Sevilla FC, the striker’s agent has already offered his services to Real Betis. Meanwhile, Betis’ city rivals Sevilla are also monitoring the situation closely.

A loan move appears the most feasible route for Castellanos to leave. Both La Liga sides are believed to favour a temporary deal at this point, with Sevilla especially expected to table a proposal to the player and club in the coming days.

That arrangement could also suit West Ham, who are unlikely to recover the £25 million they invested in the striker back in January. As such, the club may prefer to sanction a loan, hoping a strong campaign restores his market value ahead of next summer.

A loan with an obligation to buy could also be an option if Castellanos decides he wants to sever ties with English football entirely.

West Ham urged to accelerate summer business

With less than three weeks until the new Championship season begins, West Ham are yet to complete a single first-team signing this summer.

Nuno is still in need of greater creativity in midfield, at least one centre-back, and a striker—regardless of Castellanos’ situation. Should the Argentine depart, the club would be forced to bring in two forwards as a minimum.

That leaves a significant amount of work to be done in a short window, and growing concern among supporters over the lack of arrivals is only likely to intensify with the news of Castellanos’ potential exit.