Santiago Castro: The Heir to Joshua Zirkzee’s Throne at Bologna
For a club of Bologna’s stature, success usually means a fresh start. Returning to Europe’s elite competition after six decades of absence wasn’t enough to keep the mastermind behind it all, Thiago Motta. They also had to replace record signings Riccardo Calafiori and Joshua Zirkzee at either end of the pitch.
As it stands, Martin Erlić and Thijs Dallinga are facing similar issues to their predecessors. The Croatian center-back has been unlucky with injuries, while Ligue 1’s talismanic striker struggled to repeat his scoring exploits in Italy. But Dallinga should find solace from the track records of Bologna’s recent strikers. Although scoring wasn’t his forte, fellow Dutchman Zirkzee only found the net twice in his first Serie A season. Similarly, Santiago Castro had a goal-shy start after joining the club in January 2023.
The 1.93m forward guided Bologna to a Champions League qualification before a big summer move to Manchester United. Meanwhile, in his own right, Castro became a perfect replacement following his adaptation time to European football. However, things could’ve gone wrong at the start of the season. Having played a huge part in Argentina’s passage to the Paris Olympics, Bologna denied Castro permission to appear in the final tournament. Javier Mascherano’s team pipped back-to-back gold medalists Brazil in the qualifiers, and they were one of the tournament favorites.
Naturally, Castro would’ve liked to represent his country in the world’s largest sporting event. But the decision to partake in Bologna’s preseason preparations helped his application to the incoming coach Vincenzo Italiano. The German-born coach helped South American talents Nico González and Arthur Cabral reach bigger heights at Fiorentina. And the trend is continuing with Castro in the Red and Blues colors. The 20-year-old assisted three goals before scoring the fourth in Bologna’s 4-0 cup win over Monza.
In particular, his second assist of the night tells more about the player. Castro made the perfect run down the left wing before setting up Riccardo Orsolini with a weighted through ball. Only a crossbar denied him a fourth assist – and Samuel Iling-Junior a goal – five minutes from time. Castro’s perfect Coppa Italia debut saw him already reach double figures for goal involvement in all competitions. That’s a stark contrast to his introduction to Serie A football in the second half of last season.
He had to wait until Thiago Motta’s last game at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara – incidentally against the young coach’s future club Juventus – for his first goal in European football. The striker who made a name for spectacular goals at Vélez Sarsfield had to settle for a fortuitous incident to open his scoring account with a deflected header.
He repeated that performance when Motta’s Juventus held to a draw at Bologna last month. Despite their contrasting summer in terms of transfers, Italiano’s youthful side sandwiched between big guns Juventus and AC Milan in Serie A standings to close out 2024.
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On a personal level, Castro was in tears in the wake of the last game of the year against Hellas Verona. In a game where he provided his 7th assist of the season, a late own-goal saw Bologna lose at home for the first time in the league. Although Tommaso Pobega’s sending-off did the most damage, the Argentine striker left to rue the unfortunate incident at the end of the match.
Nonetheless, he’s certainly among the most sought-after players, especially in the Italian market. Thiago Motta’s Juventus is the latest name added to the list of clubs interested in his signing as soon as possible. While his relentless movement and linkup play made him a huge prospect, some areas of his game demand significant improvement.
For once, Castro has never been a proven goalscorer. He only scored 9 goals for Vélez Sarsfield after two full seasons in the first team, albeit with memorable strikes more often than not. Furthermore, Castro couldn’t turn the tide for Bologna in the Champions League. I Rossoblù only had one goal after six rounds – ironically, through Jhon Lucumí’s maiden goal for the club in three seasons.
Accounting for his skillset and inexperience – he has yet to reach 100 games at a club level – playing as a winger could be a viable option in case of a big transfer. His ability to either play a key pass or draw fouls makes him a standout attacker under pressure. On top of that, he can find the net occasionally with thumping long-range strikes.
After losing Nicolás Domínguez for half the price they got him from Vélez, Bologna would look for an astronomic price for their next gem, however. Yet with Dallinga finally finding some momentum, Castro’s focus shifts to consolidating his starting berth. At 20 years old, he’s doing just that, scoring in each of his last two matches vs. Inter and Monza to take his tally to 7 goals and 7 assists in 26 appearances.
Meanwhile, getting his first La Albiceleste call will be right up his alley. With Lautaro Martínez about to surpass Diego Maradona’s scoring tally and Julián Alvarez finding his feet at Atlético de Madrid, there is a long way to go if he has to be the main man for the reigning world champions. But, in Bologna, patience is a virtue.
By: Eskender Tamrat /@eskeFussball
Featured Image: @GabFoligno / Ciancaphoto Studio / Getty Images