Barcelona and Real Madrid reportedly face stiff competition from La Liga rivals Sevilla in the race to sign Ben Brereton, valued at €35 million by Blackburn Rovers.
According to a report by Catalan outlet El Nacional, Ben Brereton’s rising stock has been noticed by three of La Liga’s biggest clubs, with Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Sevilla eager to sign him in the ongoing transfer window. The 22-year-old Blackburn Rovers striker has a €35 million price tag.
Ben Brereton is widely regarded as one of the best strikers in the second division of English football, going from strength to strength since joining Blackburn Rovers from Nottingham Forest. Initially signed on loan in August 2018, the Riversiders signed the youngster permanently in January 2019.
The 22-year-old has been particularly prolific in the ongoing campaign, scoring 20 goals in 27 appearances across all competitions. Some of the biggest Premier League clubs and several European bigwigs have noticed Brereton’s exploits. Three of his prospective suitors are La Liga giants Barcelona, Real Madrid and Sevilla.
The Catalan giants are keen on bolstering their attack by signing a striker in the ongoing transfer window. Sergio Aguero’s premature retirement has forced Barcelona to enter the market, as neither Martin Braithwaite nor Luuk de Jong is reliable enough to lead the line consistently. Alvaro Morata has been heavily linked with Barcelona, but Serie A giants Juventus are putting up hindrances for him to complete a January move.
Barcelona will thus need to target an alternative, with Brereton emerging as a viable target. As for Real Madrid, either Mariano Diaz or Luka Jovic could leave the club this month searching for regular game-time. To that end, Brereton is a viable target for Real Madrid, although the Spanish heavyweights are closely monitoring his progress for now.
The interest from Sevilla could be stemming from Youssef En-Nesyri’s unavailability due to his participation in the Africa Cup of Nations. While Rafa Mir has done reasonably well since arriving last summer, Sevilla will need additional firepower to aid Los Nervionenses’ bid for the La Liga title in the second half of the season.
According to El Nacional, the Andalusian club is prepared to pay the €35 million demanded by Blackburn to sign Brereton, a target for West Ham United, Leeds United and Borussia Dortmund. Such a development could put Barcelona, Real Madrid and other suitors on alert, although it is unclear if they will launch the offensive to secure his services this month.