Last night saw Barcelona’s local rivals Girona tear apart reigning La Liga champions Real Madrid to register a 4-2 victory at Estadi Montilivi. The result meant that the Blaugrana can now go 14 points clear at the top should they prevail against Rayo Vallecano later tonight.
One player who absolutely stole the show during the match between Girona and Real Madrid was striker Valentin ‘Taty’ Castellanos. The 24-year-old Argentine ace single-handedly destroyed Carlo Ancelotti’s side on Tuesday, scoring all four goals for Girona.
And now, according to Toni Juanmarti, Barcelona have been left impressed by Castellanos and the centre-forward could be an option for the club for the summer transfer window.
The 24-year-old joined Girona last summer, arriving on a season-long loan deal from sister club New York City FC. So far in his time with the Catalan outfit, he has scored 12 goals and set up one from 31 matches in all competitions.
While he has not produced prolific numbers, Castellanos has impressed with his energy and work rate on the pitch. Furthermore, yesterday’s display against Real Madrid indicated that he has what it takes to flourish into a dangerous goalscorer.
It is no secret that Barcelona are looking for a striker in the summer to compete with and cover for Robert Lewandowski.
Vitor Roque is the priority option for the La Liga leaders, but Athletico Paranaense’s asking price could become a hurdle. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is seen as an alternative at Spotify Camp Nou if they miss out on Roque.
However, as per the information from Toni Juanmarti, some people within the club believe that they might need a forward who can make runs, and Castellanos is seen as a good fit.
There is nothing concrete at this point apart from the suggestion that Barça like the Argentine, who had missed a couple of great chances to score for Girona in the 0-0 draw at Camp Nou earlier this month.
Castellanos’ loan deal with Girona expires at the end of the season at which point he would return to New York City FC, where his contract runs until 2025.
