West Ham should not hesitate to sign Nicolas Castillo in January
According to Portuguese source Record, agents of Benfica striker Nicolas Castillo have met Manuel Pellegrini and West Ham might make a move for the Chilean centre-forward in January.
After scoring 24 goals in 32 games for Chilean outfit Pumas UNAM in the 2017-18 season, the 25-year-old centre-forward was snapped up by Benfica this summer. However, he hasn’t had a chance to prove himself at his new club, making only a couple of substitute appearances in the Portuguese Primeira Liga.
This is not Castillo’s first stint in Europe, having played for Belgian outfit Clube Brugge in the 2014-15 season. His time in Belgium was marred by injuries and he was loaned out to Mainz and Frosinone in the subsequent seasons.
But the talented South American striker is back after rediscovering his goalscoring mojo in the Chilean top flight and a move to east London has a good chance of materialising, particularly with Manuel Pellegrini at the helm of affairs.
A fast, agile and technically-gifted centre-forward, Castillo is known for his movement and heading ability inside the penalty box. Standing at 5ft. 10 inches, he is not the tallest of centre-forwards but he uses his upper body strength to time his jump to perfection. He takes off the ground quicker than his defensive counterparts and gets his head to the ball first, be it elegant flicks or well-placed headers.
Blessed with the killer instincts of a centre-forward, Castillo is adept at making clever runs behind the defenders and also excels with his hold-up play, allowing his teammates to get into scoring positions. A hardworking striker with plenty of tenacity and sharp reflexes, the Chilean ace is capable of leading the attack as a lone striker and can also slot into a two-man attack.
The 25-year-old, who has been capped by Chile 18 times at the senior level, can be a handful for the defenders with his technical abilities, which allow him to keep good close control and produce jaw-dropping moments of sublime skill.
In fact, he is capable of finding the net with powerful first-time shots from inside the penalty area without even taking a touch. Furthermore, he is a set-piece specialist and a powerful distance-shooter from outside the penalty area.
Another impressive thing about his is his temperament and attitude. Castillo is someone who backs himself and believes in his abilities to outclass the opposition, not afraid to go toe-to-toe with powerful physically dominating centre-backs.
To put things into perspective, West Ham need a backup striker to take the pressure off Marko Arnautovic. The Austrian has led the line well at east London, scoring five goals so far but has battled with recurrent injuries, which further documents the need for a quality reserve striker.
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Javier Hernandez has been in and out of the team due to injuries and even when he has been fit, the Mexican hasn’t been able to deliver the goods in front of goal. Question marks still lie over the future of Andy Carroll who is yet to make a single appearance this season due to a long-term injury.
West Ham have scored only 14 goals from 13 games in the Premier League this season and they need more firepower in their attack to move up the table. That said, Nicolas Castillo ticks all the boxes and West Ham should not hesitate to make a move for him in January.
