Villarreal now feel they have beaten Everton and Leeds United to the transfer of Blackburn Rovers forward Ben Brereton Diaz. The Chile star will join for free at the end of the season.
That is according to the Express, which reports Villarreal are set to land Brereton Diaz on a pre-contract. The 23-year-old will become a free agent in June once his deal at Ewood Park expires. But he is willing to stay and help in Blackburn’s push for promotion before leaving.
Several Premier League clubs had also shown an interest in snapping up the Championship star in January or this summer. Everton, Fulham, Nottingham Forest and West Ham United have explored Brereton Diaz’s transfer. While Sevilla had also hoped to lure him to La Liga.
Villarreal, though, are about to get Brereton Diaz to sign a pre-contract to leave Blackburn in a free transfer. He will join the Estadio de la Ceramica natives on a five-year deal after a personal pursuit by Fernando Roig. The Submarino Amarillo president was fixed on a deal.
Discussions between Villarreal and Brereton Diaz’s entourage officially began on January 1 when he could start to negotiate with foreign teams. Roig was intent on convincing the 23-year-old of a move to eastern Spain amid him scoring 10 goals in 30 games so far this term.
Everton refused to pay Blackburn’s asking price for Brereton Diaz’s transfer
Brereton Diaz has scored nine goals and four assists in 26 Championship games to help fire Blackburn into promotion contention. Rovers sit fifth in the table and in the play-off places with 42 points after 27 matches. They are 12 points shy of the automatic promotion spots.
Losing the 17-cap Chile star would have been devastating for the Lancashire outfit’s hopes of returning to the Premier League. While Brereton Diaz’s output – having also hit 22 goals in 37 league games last term – has also earned him a wealth of interest at the top-flight sides.
Everton boss Frank Lampard has been pushing the Goodison Park club to secure Brereton Diaz’s transfer from Blackburn, per Simon Phillips. While The Sun reports Rovers slapped a £15m price tag on their attacker to fend off interest from Leeds, Newcastle and West Ham.
Neither club, nor Everton, has shown a willingness to pay Blackburn £15m to seal Brereton Diaz’s transfer. So, they will now miss out to Villarreal on a player whom ex-Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray once called an ‘extraordinary’ and ‘wonderful’ player great with both feet.
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