Everton rival West Ham United in Santiago Castro race

Everton are set to enter the chase for Santiago Castro alongside West Ham United, with the Premier League clubs looking for a striker.

According to a report by TEAMtalk, Santiago Castro is attracting considerable interest from Premier League clubs, with Everton the latest to join the race for his signature. West Ham United are also in the mix for the Bologna centre-forward, and a €40 million price point has been mooted.

Santiago Castro has made a considerable impact in Serie A in his two seasons so far, with his consistent goalscoring numbers painting an optimistic picture. While he may not be anywhere near the top of the goalscoring charts, eight goals last season and seven in the league this time show a level that promises plenty of improvement in the future.

Overall, Castro has 15 goal contributions for Bologna this season, with the player tied to the Rossoblu until 2030, which does give the Serie A outfit good enough command in negotiations. They are aware of the growing interest in the attacker and could demand as much as €40 million for the Argentine striker.

Everton are the latest club to enter the race to sign Castro, with the Premier League side now eager to invest in a new striker ahead of the summer. There are links to Eintracht Frankfurt’s Igor Matanovic, and now they are interested in the youngster as a potential option for their team.

Everton are also linked with Folarin Balogun alongside West Ham United, and a new striker arrival could potentially spell the end for one of Beto or Thierno Barry next season. Castro could be an interesting option, given he has plenty of room to develop further, while his all-round game promises plenty of involvement in the attacking third, as well as giving David Moyes a different option in his frontline.

Will Castro move to the Premier League?

Castro also has the interest of AC Milan alongside West Ham, and a move to the Premier League might prove attractive enough for the Argentine forward. The Hammers are also in the mix for a new striker, although any movement in the forward line will depend on where they finish this season, given they are in the thick of a relegation battle.

The relegation aspect does make West Ham the least attractive of the clubs in the mix, and Everton could have the upper hand, especially if they qualify for a European tournament. As things stand, there are no negotiations of any sort in the background, and the interested teams could keep tabs on the Argentine striker until the summer before deciding on an approach.