Blackburn star Bern Brereton Diaz has agreed a surprise pre-contract deal with Villarreal to sign this summer.
This means the 23-year-old will move to La Liga on a free transfer when his contract at Ewood Park expires on June 30 this year.
Getty
Brereton Diaz should sign for Villarreal
It’s a blow for Rovers, who have done well in the Championship in recent years and had high hopes of reaching the Premier League.
But, according to the transfer expert fabrice romanoVillarreal have won the race to sign Brereton Diaz ahead of many clubs, including some from the English top flight.
A number of Premier League sides had been linked with the Chile international over the past year, including West Ham, Everton and Leeds.
However, the former Nottingham Forest star will now move overseas to continue his brilliant, but unusual, career to date.
Former England Under-20 international Brereton Diaz declared his international allegiance to Chile, qualifying through his mother, and became a national icon in a short time.
Despite growing up in Staffordshire, the striker made 17 caps for the South American nation after making his international debut in 2021 and scoring four goals.
Getty
Brereton Diaz was a success for Chile
This included a strike against Bolivia on their first start for Chile in the 2021 Copa America, which sparked wild celebrations among players and fans.
Having become a cult among Chilean fans, Brereton Diaz has since revealed that he took Spanish lessons three times a week and that he recited the Chilean national anthem.
And it looks like his move to Spain could help him further at international level as he seeks to soak up their culture – despite not being named in the latest international squad.
The loss of Brereton Diaz will be a blow for Blackburn, however, who sit fourth in the Championship while the striker has scored ten times this season in all competitions, also bagging four assists.
Keep up to date with all the latest news, rumors and gossip with our live transfer blog
