Fulham will reportedly compete with Everton and Leeds United in the race to sign 23-year-old Blackburn Rovers striker Ben Brereton Diaz.
According to a report by The Sun, Ben Brereton Diaz is the subject of interest from Fulham over a possible late move in the ongoing transfer window. The 23-year-old Blackburn Rovers striker has also captured the attention of several other clubs this summer, including Everton and Leeds United.
Ben Brereton Diaz started his youth career at Manchester United before joining Stoke City and eventually graduating from the Nottingham Forest academy. But the Chilean international has found a stable footing as a professional footballer since joining Blackburn Rovers, especially after committing to La Roja on the international stage.
The 23-year-old striker had enjoyed a solid 2021/22 campaign, which alerted several Premier League clubs. And Brereton Diaz has continued his rich vein of form at the onset of the 2022/23 season, amassing two goals and an assist in four appearances thus far. The player’s exploits have not gone unnoticed, with Everton, Leeds United, and Fulham all keen on signing him this summer.
The interest from Everton stems from the departure of Richarlison, who joined Tottenham earlier in the summer transfer window. In addition, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin sidelined with another injury, the need to sign a striker has accentuated at Everton, making Brereton Diaz a viable target.
As for Leeds, the Whites want to sign the 23-year-old striker after a frustrating 2021/22 campaign for Patrick Bamford. The English international was unavailable for most of the season due to fitness issues and has sustained another injury in the new term. With Sam Greenwood and Joe Gelhardt too young to lead the line regularly for Leeds, Brereton Diaz is an option worth considering.
Everton and Leeds now need to stave off stiff competition from Fulham in the race to sign Brereton Diaz. The Cottagers have to dip their toes in the market for a striker as summer signing Manor Solomon has picked up a long-term knee injury that will force him to miss most of the first half of the season. Brereton Diaz has thus emerged on Fulham’s radar.
Apart from Everton, Fulham, and Leeds, the 23-year-old striker is also the subject of interest from West Ham United, Bournemouth and OGC Nice, who had a bid worth £8.4 million knocked back by Blackburn this week. It will be interesting to see if Fulham’s emergence in the equation pushes Brereton Diaz closer to the exit door at Ewood Park.