TEAMtalk reported that Everton wanted to sign Valentin Castellanos from West Ham United with a deadline-day bid. Everton wanted to reinforce their offensive unit and targeted the West Ham attacker in the final hours of deadline day. The report stated that Everton established contact to discuss a potential deal for Castellanos after their attempts to sign other targets had failed. They were prepared to offer a package valued at £45 million, which included a base fee of £40 million. However, the report suggests West Ham was prepared to sell the striker but blocked a move because they had little time to find a replacement.

Everton are interested in signing West Ham United striker Valentin 'Taty' Castellanos and are reportedly seeking to benefit from West Ham United's relegation to the Championship. The 27-year-old Argentina international, who has two caps for his country, joined West Ham during the winter transfer window and scored six goals in 18 league appearances, but was unable to prevent the club's relegation. According to Matteo Moretto on 2 July, Everton are one of the teams interested in the player. Fulham are also said to be interested in signing him. Castellanos' contract with West Ham runs until 2030, and his market value is €28 million, according to Transfermarkt. His transfer from Lazio to West Ham in January 2026 was for a fee widely reported to be between €29-30 million.