Ben Brereton Diaz has been linked with Nottingham Forest this month but he’s now set to sign for Villarreal. The former Reds talisman is set to pen a pre-contract agreement that will see him head to La Liga at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.
Brereton Diaz has been stalling on a new contract for the last year at Blackburn. Now, they will lose their star man on a free transfer which will leave Rovers devastated.
Several clubs had been interested in Brereton Diaz over the past few months. Forest and Leeds have both been linked with the talisman but Blackburn weren’t willing to budge over their £15 million valuation.
Forest are in the market for a new striker this month. Injury has sidelined Taiwo Awoniyi and as a result, Steve Cooper is keen to bolster his strikeforce before the window closes.
Brereton Diaz has come of age over the last 18 months. He was a revelation in the Championship last season, scoring 22 goals for Rovers as they flirted with promotion.
The 23-year-old has scored 10 times during 2022/23, with Blackburn once again in the mix to try and secure a play-off place.
Forest-linked Brereton Diaz set to sign for Villarreal
This looks like a stunning move for the Chile international. Signing for Villarreal will see him quickly become a first-team regular and play in a top European league.
Brereton Diaz would have been a very useful signing for the Reds. Especially with Awoniyi injured, the Reds would have welcomed his ability to play in the role on the left.
The youngster left Forest in 2018 for £7 million and many thought he’d been allowed to leave too soon. During his time on Trentside, he played 57 times, scoring nine goals and registering seven assists.
Now, his future looks to be in Spain. Forest will need to go back to the drawing board in their quest to land themselves a new striker this month.