'That’s my idea' - Real Madrid slayer and MLS loanee Valentin 'Taty' Castellanos wants to stay in Europe beyond Girona stint

Valentin 'Taty' Castellanos has no plans to return to Major League Soccer when his Girona loan ends next month.

Castellanos has scored 13 La Liga goals this year
Under contract NYCFC
Wants to stay in Europe after successful loan spell

WHAT HAPPENED? Castellanos has bagged 13 goals for Girona in a solid loan campaign for the Catalonian club. Notably, he scored four against Real Madrid in a now-famous 4-2 win this season. And after an encouraging debut season in European football, Castellanos has expressed his intent to stay on the continent long term.

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WHAT THEY SAID: "Right now, I’m enjoying things in Europe. I like it and it was something I wanted to do, come here and see how I felt. I’m comfortable here,” he told MLS.com. “The Girona fans really have shown me a lot of love and that also gives you more hope to stay, the desire to stay in Europe. That’s my idea, honestly. I think I completed a cycle in MLS and would like to keep proving myself in another type of football to keep growing personally.

“I’m still here, still a New York City player. Right now it’s a question of what will happen in the future. There are still six league matches left in the season so after we’ll see, but I’m really happy here.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Castellanos won the MLS Golden Boot in 2021, scoring 19 times in 32 contests as NYCFC won the MLS Cup. He penned a new contract with the New York side in May 2021 that would keep him under club control until 2025, but because City Football Group own several clubs in Europe, there will likely be a way for him to remain on that side of the Atlantic.

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