Ben Brereton-Diaz reportedly completes medical as Blackburn Rovers exit nears | OneFootball

Blackburn Rovers striker Ben Brereton-Diaz has agreed a pre-contract deal with Villarreal, and completed a medical with the Spanish club, journalist Nacho Sanchis has claimed.

Following an outstanding 2021/22 campaign in which he scored 22 goals for Rovers and burst onto the international scene with Chile, Brereton-Diaz has been in high demand in the transfer market.

However, the Championship club have stood firm with their valuation of the attacker, and in doing so have seen off interest from a number of other clubs in his services.

But with the 23-year-old's contract at Ewood Park due to expire at the end of this season, he is now free to agree a pre-contract with clubs outside England, and Villarreal have been heavily linked in recent times.

Now it seems as though the two parties have come to an agreement, that will see the Chile international join the La Liga club on a free transfer in the summer.

According to this latest update, Brereton-Diaz has now signed a four-year contract with Villarreal, that will keep him at El Madrigal until the end of the 2026/27 season, and make him one of the La Liga side's highest earners.

It is thought that the 23-year-old completed his medical tests with the club over the Christmas period, meaning the deal has now been closed, and the striker is said to be looking for a house in the area.

Brereton-Diaz has again been a key player for Blackburn this season, top scoring for the club with 14 goals in 41 appearances across all competitions.

That has helped Jon Dahl Tomasson's side to fifth in the current Championship table, nine points adrift of the automatic promotion places, and four clear of the sides pursuing a play-off spot.

The Verdict

This is inevitably going to be disappointing for those of a Blackburn Rovers persuasion.

Brereton-Diaz has emerged as a key figure for the club with both his goals and all round work rate in the past couple of seasons, which have played a major part in their push for a top six spot in the Championship.

As a result, his departure was always going to leave a void in the side, and that will not be helped by the fact he is leaving on a free, making it harder to replace him without the funds that might otherwise have come in from the sale of such a valuable asset.