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Valentín Castellanos Profile (2026) |
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Full Name |
Valentín Mariano José Castellanos Giménez |
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Nickname |
Taty |
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Date of Birth |
October 3, 1998 |
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Age (in 2026) |
27 |
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Place of Birth |
Mendoza, Argentina |
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Nationality |
Argentine |
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Height |
1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) |
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Preferred Foot |
Right |
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Position |
Centre-Forward |
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Current Club |
West Ham United |
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Jersey Number |
11 |
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Previous Clubs |
Lazio, Girona (loan), New York City FC, Montevideo City Torque, Universidad de Chile |
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National Team |
Argentina |
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Estimated Net Worth |
$8 million to $13 million |
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Weekly Salary |
Around £75,000 |
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Market Value |
Around €28 million to €30.7 million |
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Boot Sponsor |
Puma |
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Marital Status |
Believed to be single |
Net Worth and Salary
When you add up his time at New York City FC, Girona, Lazio, and now West Ham, Taty has been a steady earner. His base salary at West Ham is reported to be around £75,000 per week, which works out to roughly £3.9 million a year before bonuses. That is a real jump from his early MLS days, when his wages were measured in the low six figures.
Putting all of this together with his sponsorships and prize money, Icon Polls estimates his net worth in 2026 sits somewhere between $8 million and $13 million. He has a long-running commercial deal with Puma, and he has been linked to a few smaller endorsement partners through his Argentina exposure. He has also been seen with a Mercedes and likes a quiet, comfortable lifestyle rather than the flashy showbiz route.
Height
Castellanos stands at 1.78 metres, which is 5 feet 10 inches. He is not the tallest centre-forward in the Premier League, but he holds his own in the air thanks to good timing and a strong leap. His low centre of gravity helps him turn defenders in tight spaces, and he often drops deep to link up play before pushing back into the box.
Stats
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The 2025/26 season has been a real test for him. After joining West Ham in January from Lazio, he was dropped straight into a relegation battle. In his opening months as a Hammer, he scored six Premier League goals and added more in the FA Cup. He also picked up six yellow cards, which says a lot about how hard he runs and how much he scraps for his team.
Looking at the wider career, his Lazio numbers were strong. He finished as joint top scorer in Serie A for the 2024/25 season with ten league goals. Before that, he was an MLS Golden Boot winner with New York City FC in 2021, and he was a key piece in their first MLS Cup triumph. On the international side, he is now a senior Argentina team player, having earned his first senior call-up in August 2024.
Wife
Here is where things stay quiet. Taty has been very private about his love life. There are no confirmed reports of him being married, and he has not publicly introduced a wife or fiancée. He does not post much romantic content on social media either. For now, he is widely believed to be single, although he could simply be keeping things off the timeline.
Icon Polls notes that as of 2026, there is no verified information pointing to a wife or long-term partner, and any claims floating around online should be treated with caution. What we do know is that family matters to him. He has four brothers and one sister, and he reunited with his father in Chile when he was 17, which is part of how he ended up at Universidad de Chile in his teens.
Transfer Values
This is where the numbers get interesting. His market value sits at around €28 million to €30.7 million in 2026, depending on which platform you check. That figure could rise if he keeps scoring and helps West Ham stay in the Premier League. If they go down, his value is expected to drop, and a summer exit becomes very likely.
Icon Polls findings suggest his transfer value could realistically swing between €25 million and €40 million during 2026, depending on his end-of-season form, his club's league status, and the level of interest from European suitors. Clubs from Spain, Italy, and Saudi Arabia have all been linked at various points.
His past moves paint a clear picture of upward momentum. A €15 million deal took him from City Group to Lazio in 2023, and roughly £26 million brought him to West Ham at the start of 2026 on a four-and-a-half year contract with an option for one more year.
FAQs
1. Who is Valentín Castellanos?
He is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a centre-forward for West Ham United and the Argentina national team.
2. How old is Valentín Castellanos in 2026?
He turned 27 on October 3, 2025, so he is 27 throughout most of 2026.
3. Where was Valentín Castellanos born?
He was born in Mendoza, Argentina.
4. Why is he called Taty?
“Taty” is a family nickname that stuck with him from a very young age in Argentina, and it followed him into professional football.
5. What club does Valentín Castellanos play for?
He plays for West Ham United in the English Premier League. He signed for them in January 2026 on a four-and-a-half year contract.
6. How much did West Ham pay for Castellanos?
The reported transfer fee from Lazio was around £26 million.
7. What is his shirt number at West Ham?
He wears the number 11.
8. What is Valentín Castellanos’ net worth in 2026?
Icon Polls estimates his net worth is between $8 million and $13 million in 2026.
9. How much does Castellanos earn per week?
He reportedly earns about £75,000 per week, which works out to roughly £3.9 million a year before bonuses.
10. How tall is Valentín Castellanos?
He stands at 1.78 metres or 5 feet 10 inches.
11. What foot does Castellanos use?
He is right-footed.
12. Is Valentín Castellanos married?
There is no confirmed information about a wife, and he is widely believed to be single in 2026.
13. Does Castellanos have a girlfriend?
He keeps his personal life very private, and no relationship has been publicly confirmed.
14. Does he have any children?
There are no public records of him having any children.
15. What is his nationality?
He is Argentine. His father is a naturalised Chilean, which once made him eligible for Chile as well, but he committed to Argentina.
16. Has he played for the Argentina senior team?
Yes. He received his first senior team call-up in August 2024 and has continued to be in the national team picture since then.
17. What clubs has Castellanos played for?
Universidad de Chile, Montevideo City Torque, New York City FC, Girona on loan, Lazio, and now West Ham United.
18. What are his biggest career achievements so far?
Winning the MLS Golden Boot in 2021, lifting the MLS Cup with NYCFC, finishing as joint top scorer for Lazio in Serie A in 2024/25, and breaking into the Argentina senior team.
19. What is his market value in 2026?
His market value sits around €28 million to €30.7 million, with some platforms placing it higher depending on his current form.
20. What boot brand does he wear?
He has a long-running sponsorship deal with Puma.
21. What is his playing style?
He is a mobile centre-forward who drops deep, presses defenders, links play, and finishes with his right foot. He is not pure pace, but he is sharp in tight areas and dangerous in the box.
22. Why did he leave Lazio for West Ham?
A mix of inconsistent form, strong interest from West Ham, and the chance to play Premier League football pushed the move forward in January 2026.
23. Could Castellanos leave West Ham in summer 2026?
It is possible, especially if relegation happens. Icon Polls is tracking the situation closely, and a move within Europe in summer 2026 is a real talking point.
24. What languages does he speak?
Mainly Spanish, with growing English from his MLS and Premier League years, plus Italian picked up during his time at Lazio.