
After the distraction of the latest Argentine humiliation, welcome back to the Rumour Mill where Everton Football Club is used as the ultimate leverage tool by continental agents. If you've opened a sports webpage over the last 48 hours, you’ll have seen that the latest name being confidently rolled out is that of Santiago Castro.
Yes, according to the standard collection of click-bait aggregators, the Blues are desperately ready to "break the bank" for Bologna’s 21-year-old Argentinian forward. And we've heard it all before already after his name popped up out of the blue last November.
If you trace the digital breadcrumbs back through the various echo chambers of the football internet, the entire story rests on a characteristically enthusiastic report from TEAMtalk.
The original narrative claimed Everton were laying the groundwork for a massive bid — with subsequent Italian outlets like Football Italia picking up the trail to explain that it would take "well over €35M" (£34.6M) to get Bologna to even pick up the telephone. From there, the rumour has been laundered through dozens of aggregate sites until it reads like an absolute certainty.
Castro’s contract at the Stadio Dall’Ara runs until June 2028. Crucially, Italian sources explicitly mention that Bologna is currently in active negotiations to hand the striker a "significant" pay rise. Nothing screams "give my client more money" quite like dropping a random link to a Premier League club into the English media...
We are talking about a club that has spent the last few windows meticulously balancing the books and dodging regulatory point deductions. The idea that we are casually preparing to drop roughly £35M on a relatively unproven young striker in Serie A — while trying to navigate our own squad conundrums — seems fanciful at best.
Having played in the European places, Bologna has zero financial incentive to lose a prized young asset on the cheap, labeling a departure as "extremely unlikely" unless an astronomical, un-refusable offer lands.
During the recently concluded 2025-26 Serie A season, Castro was a consistent fixture in Bologna's setup, racking up 2,366 minutes, with 7 goals scored and 2 assists over 23 league appearances.
His final block of matches in April and May saw him working incredibly hard in tight games against the likes of Inter Milan, Juventus, Roma, and Aston Villa in Europe, though the goals dried up significantly toward the tail end of the campaign. He managed a 90-minute shift in a wild 3-3 draw against Inter Milan on 23 May, but didn't find the scoresheet.
Where he genuinely excels is his aerial presence and his work rate. He's a physical, battling type of forward who doesn't mind a good scrap with centre-backs... in true Argentine fashion!
Santiago Castro looks like a very talented kid with a bright future in Italy, but this rumour has all the hallmarks of a classic agent-driven contract play. It generates clicks, it gives the aggregators something to talk about during the long summer break, and it forces Bologna's hand at the negotiating table.
Expect him to sign a shiny new deal in Italy with a massive wage bump before the summer is out, while we might be looking elsewhere for lower-priced reinforcements.
Reader Comments (18)
Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer ()
2 Posted 16/07/2026 at 13:08:13
3 Posted 16/07/2026 at 14:15:57
Apart from the fact they are cheating bastards, the banner they produced last night is disrepectful, epecially to us ex-servicemen/women.
It has no place in football and I bet you Fifa give them a right telling off.
4 Posted 16/07/2026 at 14:40:07
Its economy is in tatters and only football seems to thrive. As far as I am concerned, we should avoid recruiting from there!
5 Posted 16/07/2026 at 14:42:17
I bet that taught them not to do it again.
6 Posted 16/07/2026 at 16:00:27
I'd take a full squad of Argies. Good technique and loads of spite.
7 Posted 16/07/2026 at 16:40:44
Hopefully rumours of taking Sergio Romero as a free agent back up to Jordan Pickford are also false.
>90% of Argentinians are descendents of immigrants and most can't trace their Argentinian ancestory back as far as those living in the Falklands can trace theirs.
8 Posted 16/07/2026 at 16:46:25
Anderson and Bellingham came in for some rough treatment and although the officiating was quite fair overall it did put England out of their stride.
After getting the lead, Tuchel panicked and ruined England's shape, basically inviting Argentina pressure for the rest of the way. When you face outstanding players like Messi and Fernandez, you are running a big risk and there was too much time left on the clock.
Tuchel was a mistake and a new gaffer should be found soon.
9 Posted 16/07/2026 at 16:57:34
I would rather have Tom Davis back. While Moyes is at it, why not put in a bid for pineapple Phillips. I'm sure he's available.
10 Posted 16/07/2026 at 17:01:13
11 Posted 16/07/2026 at 17:05:48
Sounds like Britain.
12 Posted 16/07/2026 at 17:11:17
13 Posted 16/07/2026 at 17:40:39
14 Posted 16/07/2026 at 23:43:13
15 Posted 16/07/2026 at 00:29:15
16 Posted 17/07/2026 at 10:20:08
18 Posted 17/07/2026 at 00:59:05
Youve convinced me MK. Come on TFG, make it happen.
19 Posted 18/07/2026 at 08:39:30
Add Your Comments
In order to post a comment, you need to be logged in as a registered user of the site.
Or Sign up as a ToffeeWeb Member — it's free, takes just a few minutes and will allow you to post your comments on articles and Talking Points submissions across the site.
How to get rid of these ads and support TW


1 Posted 16/07/2026 at 13:06:06