Sky Sports journalist apologises to Hammers fans over latest transfer news: ‘That is so West Ham’
West Ham need to nail their recruitment in the January transfer window, but as it stands, the Hammers are taking too many gambles.
Nuno Espirito Santo is in desperate need of a new striker to rival Callum Wilson in a bid to avoid relegation, and they’re already moving fast to secure two.
Firstly, Gil Vicente centre-forward Pablo has undergone a medical at West Ham ahead of a switch to the London Stadium, and he isn’t the only one set to join.
West Ham have agreed a £25.3million transfer for Taty Castellanos from Serie A side Lazio, with the 27-year-old set for a medical ahead of their relegation showdown against Wolves.
TATY CASTELLANOS: The "Warrior" Arrives 🇦🇷⚒️
— The Stat Guy (@The_Stat_Guy_10) January 1, 2026
◉ The Engine: 10 Goals in Serie A last season⚽
◉ The Pedigree: The first player in 75 years to score 4 Goals vs Real Madrid in a single league game(2023) 🔝
◉ The Profile: 88th Percentile for Defensive Actions among strikers. pic.twitter.com/yKNVZ9GHeG
West Ham taking huge risk with Taty Castellanos transfer
Under the guidance of David Sullivan, the Hammers have a long history of blowing big money on strikers who turn out to be flops.
Take Gianluca Scamacca as an example; West Ham captured him for £35.5m in 2022, and the Italian only netted eight times in 27 matches before they sold him for around £22.5m a year later.
Having only scored one goal since August, Sky Sports journalist Dougie Critchley thinks signing Castellanos for a big fee comes with a similar risk and has already apologised to the fans on X.
West Ham dropping €29m on an Italian striker the moment the window opens…
— Dougie Critchley (@DougieCritchley) January 2, 2026
That is so West Ham.
But unlike with Scamacca, Castellanos arrives from a poor Lazio side, having scored 1 goal since August.
Sorry Hammers’ fans, I’m really not feeling this one.
West Ham supporters will have wanted the club to sign someone with Premier League experience, but instead, it appears they’re taking a gamble on two players who have hardly torn apart their respective leagues.
That being said, Castellanos did once score four goals in a single game against Real Madrid, and many will be hoping for that level of performance if he moves to England.
Callum Wilson could be set for West Ham exit
In their current dire position inside the bottom three, it’s typical that West Ham are pressing on the panic button and signing anyone available instead of being measured with their recruitment.
Of course, Pablo and Castellanos could hit the ground running and become an instant success at the London Stadium, but hardly anyone will believe they can acclimatise to English football straight away.
However, going in for two strikers arguably shows that Nuno isn’t a fan of Wilson, and the veteran could be heading for the exit door in the summer.
Nuno has often opted against going with no natural striker in games instead of using Wilson, with many supporters feeling the 33-year-old deserves better.
The arrival of Pablo and Castellanos only pushes the former Newcastle man down the pecking order, and with his contract expiring in 2026, they could soon be waving goodbye.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest West Ham United news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @westhamzone247