Valentn Mariano José “Taty” Castellanos Giménez (born 3 October 1998) is an Argentine professional footballer who currently plays as a forward for Girona on loan from Major League Soccer club New York City FC.
Table of Contents
Quick Facts
| Name | Valentin Castellanos |
| Full Name | Valentn Mariano José “Taty” Castellanos Giménez |
| Date of birth | 3 October 1998 |
| Age | 24 years old |
| Place of birth | Mendoza, Argentina |
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) |
| Position(s) | Forward |
| Current team | Girona (on loan from New York City FC) |
| Number | 9 |
Club career
Early career
Castellanos began his club career at Universidad de Chile’s youth academy. He made his senior team debut against Corinthians in the 2017 Copa Sudamericana, playing 14 minutes. In July 2017, he was loaned to Torque for a year. He scored two goals in 11 appearances while on loan, helping the club win the Segunda Division and gain promotion to Uruguay’s top flight. His transfer from Universidad de Chile to Torque became permanent on July 1, 2018.
New York City FC
On July 27, 2018, he signed a loan deal with Major League Soccer club New York City FC until the end of the 2018 season. He started and scored his first goal for New York City FC against Vancouver Whitecaps FC. On November 29, 2018, NYCFC exercised its option to purchase Castellanos ahead of the 2019 season.
In 30 games this season, Castellanos contributed 11 goals and seven assists to New York City’s offense. This form enabled NYCFC to finish first in the Eastern Conference and qualify for their first CONCACAF Champions League.
Castellanos’ output dropped in 2020, with six goals and three assists in 22 games during a season cut short by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Castellanos struggled with finishing chances, as he had an xG/90 of 0.65 but finished the season with a G/90 of only 0.40. The New York City Football Club would finish fifth in the Eastern Conference standings. Castellanos had his initial penalty saved in a shootout against Orlando City during the first round of the 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs, but VAR overturned the call due to goalkeeper Pedro Gallese leaving the goal line too early. He scored his second penalty, but NYCFC lost the shootout 6-5, knocking them out of the playoffs.
During the 2021 season, Castellanos was able to finish much more consistently, becoming only the fifth player in MLS history to score in each of their club’s first four matches. Soon after, on May 13, 2021, Castellanos signed a new contract with NYCFC through 2025. Throughout the 2021 season, Castellanos was a key component of New York City’s offense.
Girona (On Loan)
Castellanos signed a season-long loan with Girona, who had just been promoted to La Liga. On April 25, 2023, he scored four goals for Girona in their 4-2 victory over Real Madrid, becoming the first player to do so in a league match against Real Madrid since December 1947, when Esteban Echevarra scored five goals for Oviedo in a 7-1 win.
International career
Coach Fernando Batista called Castellanos up for the first time to Argentina’s national under-23 football team in October 2019 for two friendly matches against Mexico. He did, however, make his debut during Argentina’s victory in the 2020 CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament.
Honors
Torque
- Uruguayan Segunda División
New York City FC
- MLS Cup: 2021
Argentina U23
- CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament: 2020
Individual
- NYCFC Player of the Month: August 2021, September 2021
- MLS Player of the Month: October/November 2020, August 2021
- MLS Golden Boot: 2021
- MLS Best XI: 2021
