Valentin Castellanos 'as motivated as ever' ahead of last NYCFC game

All being well, this weekend will see Valentin Castellanos take to the field for the last time in a New York City FC jersey.

The Argentine striker has courted interest from South America and Europe all summer after winning the Golden Boot last season to help fire NYCFC to MLS Cup glory.

That interest has only intensified as Castellanos has continued his fine form into the 2022 campaign, scoring 17 goals in 22 appearances across all competitions - including 13 in MLS to once again top the Golden Boot standings.

Watch the story of Charlotte FC's journey to MLS in 90min's The Making of Charlotte FC, presented by DoorDash, on 90min channels now. Subscribe to our new US YouTube channel.

90min revealed earlier this year that Leeds United held a strong interest in Castellanos, but the Premier League side have since moved on to PSG forward Arnaud Kalimuendo.

But sources confirmed on Monday that Castellanos was on the verge of a move to newly promoted La Liga side Girona, with City Football Group (CFG) set to buy out the striker's contract before sending him on loan to the Spanish outfit.

Should the move indeed transpire, this weekend's home clash with Inter Miami will be Castellanos' last time in the blue of NYCFC, but that doesn't seem to be getting in the way of his commitment to the cause.

“Of course we're aware of the interest in Taty,” said interim head coach Nick Cushing. “He's here, he's played this morning, he's in the squad for Miami. He's as motivated as ever and a real important player for us. Like I said, we're aware of the story and a few guys asking questions. But he's training and he's in the squad for Saturday.”

He added: “He's really hungry to help the team win against Miami. He's really hungry to score and for me, that's the pleasing thing. We have a full squad to pick from and we can prepare the team for a really, really important game.”

Elaborating on the transfer interest, Cushing admitted this will likely be Castellanos' last game for the club and that it comes as no surprise given the quality and form of the Argentina youth international.

“We're aware of the speculation, or we understand the speculation because of the player that Taty Castellanos is and the guy that he is,” Cushing said. “I think it's fair to say it could be his last game because everyone's talking about the interest.”