---
title: "West Ham forward “will not play in the Championship” as top flight relegation looms"
canonical: "https://readwestham.com/2026/05/20/west-ham-valentin-castellanos-wont-play-in-the-championship/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Matt Bottomley"
section: "West Ham News"
published: "2026-05-20T07:30:00Z"
modified: "2026-09-22T17:39:52Z"
---

# West Ham forward “will not play in the Championship” as top flight relegation looms

- **West Ham have to win on Sunday to have any chance of staying in the Premier League**
- **Valentin Castellanos could leave this summer despite only joining in January**
- **The Hammers also need Tottenham Hotspur to lose on Sunday**

West Ham United sit on the brink of Premier League relegation this season. [Tottenham Hotspur’s loss to Chelsea last night has given them a lifeline](https://readwestham.com/2026/05/20/west-ham-premier-league-survival-lifeline/), but they will still require a Spurs loss on the final day, if the Hammers win, to stay up.

With relegation potentially a matter of days away, a number of players are expected to leave. [West Ham](https://readwestham.com/) need to raise [around £100 million should they drop into the Championship](https://readwestham.com/2026/05/19/west-ham-financial-troubles-hammers-need-millions-from-sales-amid-relegation/), and [player sales](https://readwestham.com/2026/05/19/the-three-players-west-ham-should-sell-crysencio-summerville-max-kilman-alphonse-areola/) are the quickest way to reach that number.

The likes of [Jarrod Bowen](https://readwestham.com/2026/05/20/west-ham-jarrod-bowen-relegation-fears-began-last-season/), Crysencio Summerville and [Konstantinos Mavropanos](https://readwestham.com/2026/05/18/west-ham-konstantinos-mavropanos-newcastle-united-loss/) are all prized assets that have international goals, and all three could raise significant funds. Whilst these three, alongside [Mateus Fernandes](https://readwestham.com/2026/05/19/west-ham-mateus-fernanes-left-out-of-portugal-world-cup-squad/), are the big names, some that came to the London Stadium in January could also be on the way out come the final whistle on Sunday.

## West Ham’s Valentin Castellanos does not want to play in the Championship

Valentin Castellanos only joined the Hammers in January, being one of [Nuno Espirito Santo’s key signings](https://readwestham.com/2026/05/18/nuno-espirito-santo-apologises-following-west-ham-defeat-at-newcastle/) of the winter window. The Argentinian’s time in London could now be short lived, with the forward not expected to play in England’s second-tier.

**Valentin Castellanos’s 2025/26 West Ham United Statistics**

| **Appearances** | **Goals** | **Assists** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 21 | 6 | 0 |

According to Italian journalist [Marco Mampreso](https://x.com/MarcoMampreso/status/2056123545470554597?s=20), Castellanos has no desire to stay and play in the Championship. The 27-year-old joined West Ham to make his Premier League dream come true, the Irons have done that, but should they not stay up, he wants to play top-flight football elsewhere.

Castellanos has a market in Italy, where he played for Lazio before making the move to England. Flamengo, the Brazilian champions, also remain interested in the forward having looked into a move before West Ham pounced for the Argentinian.