Darren Bent urges Ipswich Town, Leeds United and Southampton to sign 6-goal forward | OneFootball

Ipswich gained automatic promotion to the Premier League for next year, so will be looking to build a team capable of maintaining their position in the division beyond one season.

Leeds and Southampton are fighting for the third promotion place, and will meet at Wembley Stadium this weekend to determine who will go up through the play-offs.

Brereton Diaz spent the second half of the term on loan with Sheffield United, where he bagged six goals in 14 league appearances (all stats from Fbref).

The forward will return to Villarreal this summer, where he has struggled for game time since joining as a free agent 12 months ago.

Darren Bent makes Ben Brereton Diaz transfer claim

Bent believes that Ipswich or one of Leeds and Southampton should be taking a look at signing Brereton Diaz this summer in order to bolster their attacking options.

The 40-year-old has claimed the Chile international is too good for the Championship, and has plenty to offer one of the promoted sides in the Premier League next season.

“He got six in 14. Nearly one in two,” said Bent, via Talksport.

“At Sheffield United. Come on.

“He went away to Villarreal, didn’t really play and then came back to Sheffield United.

“He is definitely one, if I am Ipswich, Leeds or Southampton. I think, yes, he is definitely [too good for the Championship].”

Brereton Diaz was a key figure in the Championship at Blackburn Rovers prior to his move to Villarreal.

The 25-year-old contributed 36 goals and seven assists in his final two campaigns at Ewood Park before departing at the end of his contract.

Ben Brereton Diaz's difficult Villarreal move

This led to a move to La Liga, where he struggled to adapt to his new surroundings.

Brereton Diaz made just 14 appearances in the Spanish top flight, including only two starts, before signing for the Blades on loan in January of this year.

However, he was unable to help keep Sheffield United in the Premier League, as the Yorkshire outfit suffered relegation back to the second tier.

The forward’s future is undecided heading into the summer market, but Ipswich and the winner of this weekend’s play-off final will both be looking to improve their squads before their top flight season gets underway.

Perhaps a move for Brereton Diaz could be on the cards following his positive performances in an otherwise struggling Sheffield United team.

Brereton Diaz could be a solid signing for promoted sides

Brereton Diaz performed above expectations in the Premier League given how difficult he found it in La Liga.

Scoring six from 14 for a poor Sheffield United side is a good indication that he could contribute goals to a side in the top flight.

Ipswich will likely want to strengthen their attacking options this summer, and a move for Brereton Diaz could be a smart solution.

It remains to be seen whether he has a future with Villarreal, or if a return to England is on the cards again, but Portman Road wouldn’t be a bad next step in his career.