BBC
Tottenham have held talks with former Marseille boss Roberto de Zerbi about a summer appointment if they stay in the Premier League. (Telegraph - subscription required), external
Former manager and player Glenn Hoddle has offered to ensure Tottenham avoid relegation should interim boss Igor Tudor be sacked after losing his opening three games. (Mail), external
Another former Tottenham player, Robbie Keane, has also emerged as one of the leading candidates if the north London side axe the Croat. (TeamTalk), external
Napoli hope to move quickly to secure the long-term future of Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay, 29, amid interest from the Premier League. (Goal), external
Newcastle United striker William Osula says he does not know what the future holds, but his focus for now is on Tyneside. The 22-year-old Dane has previously been linked with Stuttgart. (ChronicleLive), external
Antoine Griezmann, 34, has decided not to leave Atletico Madrid mid-season; Orlando City had showed strong interest in the former France forward. (L'Equipe - in French, subscription required), external
Manchester City are sure to offer England international Phil Foden a new contract when his current one expires at the end of next season, but negotiations will not be easy given the 25-year-old midfielder's inconsistent form. (The Athletic - subscription required), external
England midfielder Mason Mount, 27, has no intention of forcing an exit from Manchester United this summer. (Football Insider), external
Manchester United have been informed that Trabzonspor are not willing to pay the club's valuation of £40m to £43m for Cameroon goalkeeper Andre Onana, 29, this summer. (MEN), external
Brentford winger Kevin Schade, 24, continues to attract interest with Tottenham, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan chasing the Germany international's signature. (TeamTalk, external)
Sky Paper Talk
Premier League
Manchester United are said to have whittled down their search for a new manager to three main candidates: Julian Nagelsmann, Roberto Martinez and Roberto De Zerbi - The Express.
Manchester United are reportedly hopeful of landing big money from the sales of Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford in the summer as they look to land targets including Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson and RB Leipzig star Yan Diomande - The Express
Tottenham Hotspur are considering their options for a second change of manager in a month after three defeats in Igor Tudor's first three matches in charge thrust the club into a relegation crisis - The Telegraph
Patrice Evra has criticised three Manchester United legends for their 'negative analysis' during Michael Carrick's reign - The Mirror.
Manchester United have announced a five per cent rise on season tickets for next season but their "executive club" have had prices frozen - The Telegraph.
Wolves are keeping a close eye on Championship top-scorer, Swansea striker Zan Vipotnik - The Sun
Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez appears to be breaching the Football Association's (FA) rules regarding promoting betting companies - The Athletic
Football fans can expect to have their faces scanned by live facial recognition cameras in a bid to catch dangerous criminals as the new tech is rolled out across the country - The Sun
EFL
Mansfield have poked fun at Arsenal's corner supremacy in a social media jibe ahead of the Gunners' visit to Field Hill on Saturday - The Sun
WSL
A clampdown on goalkeepers feigning injury in order to allow team-mates to take on instructions could soon come into effect, with the Women's Super League set to trial a new measure next season - The Mirror
World football
England's World Cup clash with Ghana has been thrown into chaos after the cost of hosting was "miscalculated" - The Sun
Europe
Jude Bellingham will miss the first leg of the Real Madrid Champions League last-16 tie against Manchester City as the midfielder continues to recover from a hamstring injury - The Athletic
Harry Kane missed Bayern Munich's trip to Borussia Monchengladbach on Friday, giving him one less game to break Robert Lewandowski's goalscoring record - The Mirror.
Jurgen Klopp has been linked with a surprise switch to Atletico Madrid, according to reports in Spain - The Express
Rugby Union
Rassie Erasmus said Steve Borthwick "thinks like a machine" as South Africa's double World Cup-winning coach attempted to give his backing to his under-fire England counterpart - The Telegraph
Jamie George admitted that England have sorely lacked "spirit and fight" in consecutive defeats by Scotland and Ireland but believes their recent Six Nations collapse will prove to be a "defining moment" for the team - The Telegraph
The Athletic
The making of Taty Castellanos, the ‘X-factor’ forward driving West Ham’s survival bid
Taty Castellanos joined West Ham United in January and has scored three goals Rob Newell - CameraSport via Getty Images
By Roshane Thomas
It is no surprise Taty Castellanos has endeared himself to West Ham United fans given he has waited four years for this opportunity.
The 27-year-old, who joined from Lazio in January for an undisclosed fee, has scored three goals in 11 appearances across all competitions. His playing style is based on passion, energy and intense work rate. Although West Ham remain in the relegation zone, they are level on 28 points with Nottingham Forest following the midweek victory at Fulham — and Castellanos’ performances have aided their quest for Premier League survival.
His first goal was in the FA Cup third round extra-time victory over Queens Park Rangers. His second in a 2-0 away win at Burnley and his third during the 5-2 defeat at Liverpool. All three were headers.
Taty Castellanos scores with a header against LiverpoolPaul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images
But the forward could have long been an established figure at the London Stadium. Multiple sources briefed on the situation, speaking anonymously to protect relationships, say West Ham scouted the two-time Argentina international extensively in January 2022 when he played for New York City FC.
The Athletic has been told Castellanos was open to leaving the Major League Soccer side, having scored 42 league goals in 109 appearances. Despite favourable scouting reports, West Ham opted against signing him. In fact, majority shareholder David Sullivan did not sanction any arrivals during the 2022 January transfer window.
Castellanos’ career in the United States included a loan at Spanish side Girona in the 2022-23 season, where he memorably struck four goals against Real Madrid, before later scoring 22 times in 98 league games in a three-year stint at Lazio.
“We had loads of scouts from clubs in England and Spain watching him,” former New York City FC head coach Nick Cushing tells The Athletic. “The level of interest in Taty kept growing. When I joined he was the reigning MLS Golden Boot winner in 2021. There was a lot of talk of Taty moving abroad, so I always knew he’d eventually join a Premier League club.
“But the speculation didn’t affect him or his performance. He didn’t once ask not to play or feign an injury. He remained committed. I’m confident he will continue to score goals for West Ham. You can see he’s brought intensity and aggression to their team.”
The striker, whose first name is Valentin, was given his nickname Taty as a child because it was the first word he said to his mum. He was born in Mendoza, Argentina and has four siblings (Agustin, Marcos, Martin and Virginia) to mother Marilu and father Diego. Castellanos played for amateur clubs Villa Nueva, Independiente Rivadavia and Leonardo Murialdo before starting his professional career aged 16 in Chile at Universidad de Chile.
“I was rejected by both River Plate and Lanus as a kid, but that’s part of life and in the end it opened better doors for me,” Castellanos said in West Ham’s matchday programme before January’s 3-1 home win against Sunderland. “It motivated me to work even harder, and without those experiences, I don’t think I would have had the career I have so far.”
A loan to Uruguay’s Montevideo City Torque — also owned by the City Football Group — helped Castellanos gain valuable first-team experience and was later converted into a permanent transfer. It was here that members of New York City’s recruitment team caught wind of his potential.
“He was highlighted to us when he played for Torque,” David Lee, New York City FC’s former sporting director, tells The Athletic. “He was highly rated, so we took a chance on him (when we signed him in 2018). He joined us on loan, we converted it into a permanent and it worked out well for everyone. The first thing we noticed was his aggression with and without the ball. He played as a winger and a No 9. He was only 18 but we saw him as a forward long-term. His work rate really impressed me and that hasn’t changed one bit.
“He developed a lot at New York City but made smart career moves after leaving. The loan in Girona gave him exposure to a higher level and a lot of teams were interested that summer, so to see him now in the Premier League is great. I watch as many West Ham games as I can and it’s testament to him that he’s won their fans over already.”
Castellanos played under Domenec Torrent, Ronny Deila and Cushing at New York City FC. Attacking midfielder Maximiliano Moralez, a compatriot, helped Castellanos settle as he adapted to life in a new country. Once his surroundings became familiar, the MLS side benefited from his development. He became a reliable offensive outlet, memorably ending the 2021 season as the joint-highest scorer with Ola Kamara, then of D.C. United, on 19 goals.
Staff at New York City flew his mother from Argentina to present him with the Golden Boot award. It was a full-circle moment for Castellanos, who had initially struggled to bed into the starting XI.
“When I first started working with Taty, he played on both flanks as a wide forward,” Cushing says. “The club had an experienced forward called Heber who was very clinical, but halfway through 2020 he injured his cruciate ligament, which gave Taty the opportunity to play as a No 9. The club didn’t bother signing a striker that summer because Taty impressed us that much.
Taty Castellanos’ form in MLS for New York City FC attracted West Ham’s attention as early as 2022Steph Chambers/Getty Images
“In 2021, Ronny started with Taty and in pre-season told him he would be the number one striker. He ended the season with the Golden Boot and I loved working with him (initially as part of Deila’s backroom staff). Training would end and he would ask to do more. It would mainly be headers that we’d work on, then his finishing and over time it was free kicks because he wanted to take them.
“His strengths are his physical ability and work rate off the ball. He will work really hard and that will benefit West Ham. He doesn’t give central defenders time on the ball.”
Niclas Fullkrug’s season-long loan from West Ham to Milan prompted Castellanos’ arrival. The addition of Pablo Felipe, who is nursing a calf injury, from Gil Vicente in January led to head coach Nuno Espirito Santo tweaking his formation from 4-2-3-1 to 4-4-2. It had the desired effect, with the duo complementing West Ham’s attack. Crysencio Summerville and club captain Jarrod Bowen have benefited most from their arrivals, with a combined total of nine goals and five assists since January.
“We are delighted not only with Taty, but the players that have joined have really brought energy to the team,” Nuno said in Friday’s pre-match press conference before Monday’s FA Cup fifth-round tie against Brentford. “Taty’s doing well and I hope he continues. I think he’s settled really quickly to the Premier League and we expect much more from him.”
Cushing is filled with pride. He continues to monitor Castellanos’ progress and has no doubt the striker will remain a key player for Nuno’s side and believes a particular strength will benefit them.
“What impressed me most is the power he is able to generate on headers,” says Cushing. “This is what he would’ve worked on after training to give him an advantage in the long run. His physicality and aggression makes him a hard striker to play against. One of his most important goals was against New England in the play-offs (2021’s Conference semi-finals).
“They had walked the league that year, earning a record number of points and were favourites. In the 109th minute he scored a header at the back post and just destroyed the defender with his strength. That match and goal is probably my favourite memory of him. West Ham needed an X-factor player given their league position and now they have that in Taty.”