Blackburn Rovers star Ben Brereton Diaz has reportedly opted to sign for La Liga side Villarreal at the end of this season, with Everton and Leeds United set to miss out on the Chilean international.
According to the Daily Mail, the 23-year-old attacker has fully agreed to sign for Villarreal this summer once his contract with Blackburn has expired, with Brereton Diaz rejecting the likes of Everton and Leeds to join the Spanish club later this year.
Brereton Diaz’s future has been a major talking point amongst Championship supporters with the former Nottingham Forest man one of the division’s best players and a talent who has the potential to go far in the game, with a Premier League move often touted for the youngster.
However, Brereton Diaz has instead opted to sign for Villarreal, with the forward expected to replace the likes of Arnaut Danjuma and Nicolas Jackson, with the former recently joining Tottenham on loan and the latter expected to move to the Premier League in the coming days.
Once called ‘extraordinary’ by former Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray, Everton and Leeds have both been heavily linked with a move for Brereton Diaz in recent weeks, with journalist Simon Phillips claiming that Frank Lampard was keen to bring the attacker to Goodison Park before the English coach’s dismissal from Merseyside.
With the Sun further reporting that Leeds were also chasing Brereton Diaz, the versatile attacker choosing to move to Villarreal will be seen by many as a surprising decision. However, given the events of this window, signing for the La Lig side makes quite a lot of sense for the Stoke-born talent.
Brereton Diaz signing for Villarreal is a smart move
Brereton Diaz has been one of the standout stars in the Championship for the last two seasons, and whilst the forward would have flourished in the Premier League and played on a regular basis, a move to Villarreal is arguably even better for the Chilean international.
With the Yellow Submarine potentially losing two key attackers this month, Brereton Diaz can come in during the summer and assert himself as a new saviour for Villarreal, a club who are also, on paper, a much more attractive option than Everton and Leeds.
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