It has been the likes of Diego Valeri, Sebastian Blanco, Javier Morales, and yes Taty Castellanos who have raised the Argentine player profile in Major League Soccer, which is home to over 30 Argentine players.

Taty Castellanos pathway to success was unthinkable, having never played for a professional club in Argentina, making a handful of appearances for Universidad de Chile, Castellanos would eventually find himself in Uruguay’s second division playing for Montevideo City Torque and a long shot away from true success.

Taty Castellanos one transfer away from ending a stigma

So, what did Torque see in an unproven Argentine forward with little to no professional experience, for Héctor Javier Nóblega, Montevideo City’s Business Manager, Castellanos skill set was clear, “Taty has all the conditions necessary to play in European soccer… (Taty) has a mental drive that we have rarely seen in (Torque), and that is just as important than any of his technical and physical attributes.”

“Taty came to Uruguay with a mental drive to develop his game and reach the highest levels and that is what he is showing in MLS and that is why teams in the best leagues want him” Nóblega added when speaking to Bolavip.

Castellanos scored 5 goals in 30 games for the Uruguayan club before moving to sister club NYCFC and becoming maybe the best player in the club’s history, even over David Villa. Castellanos to date has scored 47 goals in 88 MLS matches and this season has 14 goals and 4 assists across all competitions.

Castellanos at the moment commands a $15 million price tag for any club interested in taking the Argentine, something NYCFC and the City Football Group are prepared to do, with River Plate being the most interested but not reaching the desired 15 million. Fiorentina, West Ham, and Palmeiras have all expressed interest but still the final number has not been reached.

Even if Castellanos were to be sold between the $10-12 million range it would be a remarkable return of investment on a player which cost NYCFC chump change and who today earns only $1 million in salary. Yet the MLS Cup winner and 2021 Golden Boot has proven to be vastly more valuable than Xherdan Shaqiri, Gonzalo Higuaín, Jozy Altidore, and Franco Jara, all on vastly larger salaries than Castellanos.

For Nóblega who watched Taty grow up at his club a move to Europe would mean a lot, “it would mean that (Montevideo City) can be a platform for players… in Taty’s case being moved within the (City Football Group and to NYCFC) before going to Europe, it helps their development… We have a close relationship with Taty and we continue to keep in touch until today, we are very happy that he maintained his development in NYCFC and will hopefully continue this track in Europe.”

For Taty Castellanos, MLS, and NYCFC it’s a matter of waiting, once that transfer comes in and that move is made be it whatever destination, Castellanos will prove you don’t have to be from River Plate, Boca Juniors, or Flamengo to make a big leap from MLS to Europe you can be a bright-eyed kid playing second division soccer in Uruguay who always kept your eye on the prize.

Dark horses like NYCFC and Colorado Rapids have emerged with statement wins and individual performances to keep an eye on come the playoffs that may shock many. One of the biggest questions now going down the stretch run in MLS is who the candidates for the Landon Donovan award at season’s end are.

These top 5 candidates have all made a case to be considered for the top individual prize in all of MLS. What we have considered is contributions from goals, assists, leadership and team standing. Here are the top 5 candidates to win the MLS regular season MVP award.

Raúl Ruidíaz

Seattle’s Raúl Ruidíaz is having one of the best individual seasons for a player in a long time, consider the scenario, Jordan Morris and Nicolás Lodeiro out injured for much of the season someone has to step up, and the Peruvian has. Ruidíaz leads the league in goals, 14, but besides clutch goals, it has been leadership that makes him one of the biggest reasons the Sounders are atop of the west without two key players. Ruidíaz did what a DP is supposed to do… step up.

Valentín Castellanos

NYCFC is a dark horse, winning games against big time opponents, the latest against New England where Valentín Castellanos scored two goals and is having a career year. It’s a team effort for NYCFC but Castellanos has stood out considerably and is coming into his own. Taty will be key come playoff time and has shown he can be a star in MLS, it also marked a year where Castellanos was called into the Argentine U23 squads.

Carles Gil

One of the best midfielders in MLS, Carles Gil is the leagues assist leader and by a mile, his 15 assists are only second by 5 players who are on 8. Gil is the string puller for the Revs two power forwards Bou and Buksa. Once again Bruce Arena has a magic triangle with Gil playing the role of Marco Etcheverry to perfection.

Dániel Sallói

Out of nowhere Dániel Sallói is on an MVP season, already an All-Star and a league leader in goals and assists the Hungarian striker has been pivotal for Sporting KC. He may not be the biggest name on the list, but Sallói has done it all this season for Sporting KC and is on a career year.

Hany Mukhtar

Someone needs to take credit for Nashville SC’s unexpected third place 2021 MLS season. German Hany Mukhtar is tied at second as the leagues assist leader and has 8 goals this season. Mukhtar pulls the strings for a team that has only lost 2 games the whole season and when in doubt Nashville SC gets draws, in a league where earning points is key, Nashville are sitting pretty with an MVP caliber player, and a stingy defense.