Leeds United target Valentin Castellanos hailed as twice the player Jack Harrison was at NYCFC
Leeds United transfer target Valentin “Taty” Castellanos is “twice the player” current Whites star Jack Harrison was at NYCFC, say Hudson River Blue.
90min reported on Friday that the club were at the front of the queue for the Argentine forward after the American side’s parent club Manchester City passed up the option to sign him and offered him round the Premier League instead.
The Whites are apparently in the US to look at the 23-year-old, as well as already-signed Brenden Aaronson, and are leading the likes of Everton, Newcastle and West Ham for his signature.
Doubts over his ability to translate his form for New York, where he has scored 53 goals in all competitions and assisted 23 more from 126 appearances, were shut down on Twitter by the club’s SB Nation page Hudson River Blue.
In a thread discussing the potential move to Elland Road, which Whites winger Harrison made in 2018, they responded to suggestions that US imports can struggle by writing: “Agree. But he’s different: 23, Argentine, strong. He developed here under European coaches, but he’s a product of Argentina, not US youth leagues.
“Besides, Jack Harrison is doing OK at Leeds – Taty is twice the player he was at NYCFC”.
Harrison, 25, has made 166 appearances in a United shirt, scoring 28 goals and assisting 22.
Positive
After a season that saw last summer’s Daniel James and Junior Firpo arrivals remain as the only senior additions after a barren January window the club have moved fast to rectify issues in a squad that was almost relegated.
Aaronson has already been secured after the frustrations of the winter window, and his Red Bull Salzburg teammate Rasmus Kristensen looks to be set to follow.
Striker was a particular issue throughout the season thanks to the myriad injury issues of Patrick Bamford.
With it yet to be seen how well he comes back after his latest recovery process it should be reassuring for fans to see the club looking to add extra firepower.
Joe Gelhardt will surely feature more regularly after a frustrating campaign that saw Marcelo Bielsa and then Jesse Marsch appear reluctant to hand him more opportunities, but if Castellanos is the player he is mooted to be he could certainly be a useful addition.
He is three years older than Harrison was when the English winger left New York so he should be more advanced, but his stats are good and he has experience in South America, with time spent in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay as a teenager.
Either way, manager Marsch knows the US system well so should be capable of relating to the striker’s MLS history if he does arrive at Elland Road.
In other Leeds United news, Manchester United are re-opening the Raphinha exit door by trying to force a £72million European transfer.