As he looks to plot a brighter future at the club, Blues boss Lee Bowyer has made it his mission to bring down the average age of the squad. He’s snapped up the likes of Chuks Aneke, Ryan Woods, and Jordon Graham on free transfers, and the eldest of that trio is aged 27. In addition, there are the exciting loan signings the boss has brought in, including the highly promising Tahith Chong, Dion Sanderson, and Juan Castillo, all of whom are merely 21 at the time of writing.
Bowyer was renowned for his work with rising stars at Charlton, and he will be hoping that the up-and-coming players will inject some pace and energy into his squad. Blues have been crying out for fresh impetus as during the last term, only Derby County scored fewer Championship goals than us.
Speaking about Chong, a graduate of Manchester United’s Academy programme, Bowyer believes we have landed a gem for the upcoming season. “It’s good to have a club of Man United’s stature to trust me with such a talented player,” he said.
Castillo is another interesting acquisition. Like Chong, his chances of breaking into the first team at parent club Chelsea are slim, with the likes of Ben Chilwell and Euro 2020 winner Emerson Palmieri in front of him in the pecking order at Stamford Bridge. The London Blues are third-favourites to be hailed the outright winner in Premier League betting odds at 5/1 for 2021/22, so clearly it would be a struggle for the youngster, who’s still learning his trade, to break into the starting eleven.
The attacking left-back is highly rated amongst the staff at Chelsea, however, and the hope is that the temporary switch to St Andrew’s can provide the boost his fledgling career needs. The Chelsea Academy team of 2016/17 was something special, consisting of Mason Mount, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Reece James, Marc Guehi, and Castillo.
Castillo was a key figure throughout the silverware-laden campaign for Chelsea. Naturally, the 21-year-old will have been frustrated to see the careers of Mount, James, and co take off while his own stalled. He did feature for Chelsea in the Checkatrade Trophy but, frustrated by a lack of first-team opportunities, he decided to travel on loan to his native Netherlands. Sadly, a spell at AZ Alkmaar didn’t work out, and he played for just one minute for the Dutch side as a late substitute.
Castillo was then packed off to another Eredivisie outfit, ADO Den Haag, where he was a more established starter. Unfortunately, it’s not a stint he will remember all that fondly, with his temporary employer finishing bottom of the table.
A budding career can stall in such circumstances, but Blues will give Castillo a chance to express himself on a big stage. The move to the West Midlands was a no-brainer according to the player himself. “After speaking with Lee [Bowyer] and Craig [Gardner], it was clear that Blues was the right place to play my football this season,” he confirmed.
As part of a freshly shaken-up Birmingham team, the hope is that Castillo and his fellow new signings can inspire the Blues to bigger and more exciting things in 2021/22.
Leave a Reply