Lazio were almost forced into selling Taty Castellanos to West Ham in January. The deal helped them financially – as covered by Sport Witness, but it is now seen as an emblem for Italian football’s failures.
The Azzurri will miss out on another World Cup, creating a unique piece of history. No other World Cup winning nation has failed to qualify for a run-of-three editions of the tournament before Italy.
It is evident that a lot of things are wrong with the sport in the country. Serie A is a very long way from the time it was competing to be Europe’s top league, and Premier League clubs pick players off with ease.
LazioChannel take a close look at West Ham’s move for Castellanos, claiming that it is an example of how English football has raced ahead of Serie A.
Disbelief about Castellanos to West Ham
The outlet note that even though West Ham have placed faith in the Argentine, he was playing in European competitions in Rome. Lazio are, by no means, a small club and have played in the Champions League twice since 2020.
That is why the move to the Hammers is seen as a ‘deterioration’ for Castellanos. They believe the attacker deserves better than fighting relegation in London and is well capable of playing in the higher reaches.
But due to the nature of Italian football, he proved to be a convenient signing for West Ham, who shelled out €30m for the player.
It is also noted that Castellanos’ value has probably increased since leaving Lazio. Even if the Hammers are battling the drop, simply playing in England has helped the Argentine.
Our take: Gulf evident
Financially, Italian football has been struggling for years now. Serie A teams have lower revenue streams than Premier League sides, as they earn much less from broadcast deals. Earnings from stadium revenue is also far lower, which makes it difficult for them to turn down potential capital gains from player sales.
West Ham signing Castellanos is indeed emblematic of the problem.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side signed a European level-proven attacker for an affordable fee. That isn’t something Lazio themselves ever pay, despite being a so-called big club in Italy.
Indeed, Lazio’s seven most expensive arrivals are all from more than 20 years ago, according to Transfermarkt. They paid more than €50m for Hernan Crespo in 2020 and haven’t even reached half of that in recent years.
The fact that Castellanos has three goals in all competitions already says a lot about his qualities. Once again, Serie A just can’t compete with the finances of the Premier League.
🇧🇷 Matheus Martinelli | West Ham need to raise offer by €8m to find success – Hammers first bid rejectedhttps://t.co/unMTxfDYhF #whufc #coyi
— Sport Witness (@Sport_Witness) March 31, 2026