Kaizer Chiefs star attracts Italian’s interest
Even though Venezuelan-born Castillo has not had the most impressive second half of the season for Kaizer Chiefs, his qualities have certainly not been overlooked.
One of Kaizer Chiefs standout players in the first half of the season could be tasked with the Italian job.
Chiefs relied heavily on Venezuelan international Edson Castillo before the Afcon-induced break.
The Venezuelan joined the Chiefs from Monagas SC and hit the ground running for the Chiefs. The 29-year-old has been a mainstay in the club’s midfield, both in defence and attack. His box-to-box nature has seen him make some big tackles, telling passes and even arrive late to score himself. Castillo has already bagged five goals in all competitions for the club so far.
Those performances have caught the eye of Egyptian giants Zamalek, with Chiefs reportedly placing a whopping R40 million price tag. But probably the most important thing for Castillo has been his return to the Venezuelan national team. He was part of the team for the last international window, where he got minutes.
CASTILLO CALLED UP TO FACE ITALY AND GUATEMALA DESPITE CHIEFS FORM
Despite not having the best of form for the Chiefs at the moment, his national team coach has stuck by him. Castillo could find himself playing in international friendlies against Italy and Guatemala during the current international window. This will all depend on if coach Fernando Batista selects him.
In the October international window, Castillo was finally rewarded for his consistency at the Chiefs. He was called into the Venezuelan national team as a replacement for Jesus Bueno. On that occasion, it was perhaps unsurprising that he did not feature against Brazil and Chile. But he was able to add two more caps against Ecuador and Peru in the previous break.
Since then, it has not been the best of periods for Castillo at Chiefs. The midfielder has looked a shadow of his former self. He has not played with the same energy and quality his displayed in the first half of the season. He has also hardly looked like a goal threat. To further compound his misery, he also missed the crucial penalty that saw them knocked out of the Nedbank Cup.
Castillo will now be looking to revive his form with Venezuela and come back firing for the Chiefs.