Lazio rope in Valentín Castellanos from New York City FC in record fee

Valentín Castellanos, Major League Soccer’s scoring leader in 2021, transferred Friday to Lazio from New York City.

The 24-year-old had last played for NYC in July 2022 and spent the 2022-23 on loan to Girona, where he scored 13 goals in 35 La Liga matches plus one goal in two Copa del Rey games.

Castellanos had four goals in a 4-2 home win over Real Madrid on April 25, the first player to score four in a league match against Los Blancos since Oviedo’s Esteban Echavarria had five in December 1947. Borussia Dortmund’s Robert Lewandowski accomplished the feat in a 2013 Champions League match.

Girona, like NYCFC, is controlled by City Football Group, the parent company of Manchester City.

A native of Argentina, Castellanos played for Universidad de Chile and Uruguay’s Torque. He joined NYC in July 2018 and in 2021 scored 19 league goals. NYC went on to win its first MLS title.