West Ham’s Premier League status is out of their hands after Sunday’s controversial 1-0 defeat to Arsenal.
The Hammers trail 17th-placed Spurs by two points, meaning only a win against Newcastle at St. James’ Park this weekend will be enough to guarantee taking the relegation battle to final weekend of the season.
So much rests on the next two West Ham fixtures, not least the potential of a mass exodus of players should the club slip into England’s second-tier for the first time in almost 15 years.
The club’s annual accounts, released earlier this year, revealed record losses of £104m and explained that player sales are inevitable to help balance the books this summer, regardless if what league they’re playing in.
But the loss of TV and gate revenue that comes with relegation to the Championship would likely mean a far bigger churn of playing staff than if the club were to remain in the top-flight.
Several players have been linked with moves away from London Stadium in recent months, and the latest is one who has just arrived in east London.
Swift exit for Taty Castellanos?
West Ham signed Taty Castellanos from Lazio on a four-and-a-half contract in January.
While the Argentine hasn’t made the goalscoring impact many were hoping for, with just five goals in 20 first-team appearances, the striker has helped transform Nuno Espirito Santo‘s side’s attacking performances alongside fellow January arrival, Pablo.
But his east London future remains unclear while West Ham’s league status continues to be undecided.
It’s being reported by O Dia that Flamengo are showing a keen interest in Taty’s services who, alongside his Hammers teammates, is believed to be facing a 50% wage cut in the event of relegation.
That will, of course, make trying to convince players to stay a lot more difficult for West Ham this summer.
Castellanos’ performances in claret and blue throughout the second-half of this season have made him a popular player among supporters, despite his lack of goals.
But a return to South America could be on the cards for the striker this summer, which will leave West Ham heading into yet another transfer window in which signing a striker will be the top priority.
