As West Ham continue to struggle despite Scott Parker’s recent appointment, the potential of Taty Castellanos leaving the London Stadium in the next months has emerged, sparking conflicting reactions among Hammers fans.

West Ham’s relegation to the Championship after 14 consecutive seasons of good Premier League status is not going as planned, with the East Londoners looking increasingly unlikely to secure a previously-expected top-flight return as champions at the first time of asking.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s unpopular term as manager came to an end after a disappointing run of results, including consecutive home defeats to promotion rivals Southampton and West Bromwich Albion, and the Portuguese manager was quickly replaced by former Hammers player Parker.

The ex-Bournemouth and Fulham manager, who has already achieved three promotions from the second tier with as many clubs, most recently guiding Burnley back to the promised land in 2025 before being dismissed at the end of the previous season, has had a difficult return to the club thus far, taking only one point from his first two games.

Last Wednesday’s thrilling 3-3 comeback draw at Cardiff City after overturning a three-goal deficit at half-time was followed by a disappointing 2-1 defeat away to Blackburn Rovers over the weekend, and with the Hammers yet to experience the anticipated upturn under Parker, they now face the threat of losing one of their star players when the January window opens.

West Ham, Taty Castellanos transfer exit threat develops with River Plate.

Castellanos has had a particularly difficult and dismal start to the Championship, which the Argentine forward was expected to light up following his mid-season arrival in January, which coincided with positive goalscoring record despite his side’s eventual inability to avoid relegation.

Six goals from 18 Premier League appearances means that the current return of just one strike across 14 second-tier fixtures – nine of which have been starts – is not what fans were expecting, and they had been vocally critical of the divisive 28-year-old for a number of weeks before Parker hauled him off at half-time against the Bluebirds and then dropped his name from the starting lineup at Ewood Park.

Castellanos might depart East London as early as January, according to a new report from Argentine publication El Intransigente, which claims River Plate has expressed serious long-term interest.

According to the update, River Plate has shown interest in the two-cap Argentine international in prior windows, and he is considered a “top target” by manager Leonardo Ponzio.

The Buenos Aires-based club is said to value Castellano’s profile and international experience, with the striker rising to prominence outside of his native Argentina with Montevideo City Torque before enjoying productive spells at New York City, Girona, and Lazio before joining West Ham earlier this year for a reported £26 million on a four-and-a-half-year contract.

West Ham fans have been increasingly sceptical of Castellanos, and his long-term future under Parker is uncertain at this time, however a new hurdle could hinder River Plate from closing the transfer.

River Plate faces West Ham, Taty Castellanos transfer barrier.

River Plate has a huge challenge if they want to repatriate Castellanos to his country, as the move would be costly for the 38-time Primera Division champions.

Indeed, the article adds that River Plate’s greatest difficulty right now is Castellanos’ wage at the London Stadium, forcing the club to consider alternate options such as loaning the sought-after frontman or perhaps purchasing a share of his rights.

Both alternatives, of course, would require the previous agreement of West Ham, whose opinion on potentially parting ways with the ex-Lazio striker just a year after his arrival at a club that is unlikely to recoup the acquisition price is unknown.

It is stated that Castellanos’ extended contract with the Championship promotion contenders puts Parker’s team in a strong negotiation position, as River Plate will be unable to complete any trade without their consent.

Interestingly, the update also mentions past interest elsewhere, recalling that Castellanos apparently wanted to leave West Ham in the summer due to loan offers from Seville-based rivals Real Betis and Sevilla, which never materialised.

West Ham fans have expressed their thoughts on Taty Castellanos.

The London Stadium faithful are still divided on Castellanos, with some having made up their minds about the out-of-form forward and others ready to wait a little more.

Prior claims of a January exit if the price is fulfilled at the end of the previous month prompted some West Ham fans to express their thoughts on Castellanos’ future, and this fan believes that his poor form in the Championship would be a minor setback if he left.

Castellanos has left some frustrated for reasons other than his inability to find the back of the net on a regular basis, and having previously scored at a relatively prolific rate leading the line for a Premier League relegated side, his work ethic and application have been questioned.

His performance in the aforementioned tie against Cardiff garnered significant criticism, and West Ham became a lot more fluid, functional, and menacing outfit once the Argentine was replaced by Joel Piroe at halftime.

Now that the Suriname international has scored in consecutive games, it’s uncertain how Castellanos will reclaim his starting spot ahead of a positional rival with a historically high goal-scoring record at this level.

Other fans, however, continue to back Castellanos, and given how well he performed at the highest level last time out, it’s not surprising that some believe he can succeed at the second tier.

The above school of thinking has its supporters, and it’s difficult to deny that Nuno’s pragmatic approach was accommodating to a striker of Castellanos’ character – albeit the obvious caveat is that it was not a problem versus Premier League defences last season.

In any case, despite the majority’s criticism, many West Ham fans believe the divisive striker would thrive in a system that emphasises chance creation under a manager willing to put his trust in him and get the most out of an undeniably talented striker with pedigree in more prestigious and higher-quality divisions.