Credit: Serie A/Imago

Scott Mason

Wed 25 March 2026 6:40, UK

West Ham United could be lining up a move for Santiago Castro ahead of the summer window and compared to Nuno Espirito Santo’s current strikers, it makes sense why.

Focus right now will be on securing survival in the Premier League, but if the Hammers stay up, they will need to increase the quality across their squad.

Another season in a relegation scrap cannot be accepted in East London, and the only way to prevent that is a strong transfer window.

The arrival of Castro would further strengthen their options in the attacking areas, with the current crop of strikers offering little up top.

When compared directly, it becomes clear as to why Castro is on West Ham’s transfer shortlist.

How does Santiago Castro compare to West Ham’s strikers?

West Ham have the money to sign Castro, who has been tipped to cost around £34.6million and making that move makes a lot of sense.

At 21 years old, the Argentine has plenty of room to grow, with his seven Serie A goals this season so far a good platform to begin on.

One of the biggest takeaways from Castro’s game is that he is much more clinical than the strikers in E20 as it stands.

When compared to Pablo, Taty Castellanos and Callum Wilson, Castro is the only player that is outperforming their expected goals as per Sofascore.

It shows that the Argentine is clinical in front of goal and tucks away the harder chances that land in front of him.

This season is not just a one-off either, as he overperformed the same stat last season with eight goals from 7.63xG.

Why West Ham should try to negotiate lower price for Santiago Castro

Although West Ham know how much Bologna want for Castro and that they have the financial means to strike a deal, they should still go to the negotiation table.

According to Transfermarkt, the striker is worth around £30m rather than the £34.6m Bologna are seeking for Castro.

By going to the negotiating table, the Hammers could land themselves a much more favourable deal for a striker that still has plenty of room to improve.

Testing the waters with a lower offer could be the smart play if Castro becomes one of the Irons’ priorities.