Blackburn Rovers, Burnley rivalry could stop Vincent Kompany getting January transfer target: View | OneFootball

Highlights

It is probably fair to say that Ben Brereton-Diaz's move from Blackburn Rovers to Villarreal in the summer has gone as either the player or his new club would have hoped.

Following the expiration of his contract at Ewood Park at the end of last season, Brereton-Diaz left Blackburn over the course of the summer, making the move to Spain to join Villarreal on a free transfer.

Having scored a total of 47 goals in 177 appearances in all competitions during a five-year spell with the Championship club - including 38 strikes in his last two seasons - the Chile international will no doubt have been hoping to maintain that form following his move to La Liga.

So far, however, Brereton-Diaz has found it hard to settle into his new surroundings, not unlike the early stages of his time at Ewood Park.

In the ten appearances he has made for Villarreal across all competitions so far, the attacker has failed to score once or provide a single assist, although he has been booked twice.

As a result, the 24-year-old has only even started once in La Liga since August, and it seems all that means Brereton-Diaz could potentially be on the move again, once the transfer window reopens in January.

Could Brereton-Diaz return to England in January?

With things not working for the attacker in Spain right now, it seems Brereton-Diaz's situation has caught the attention of a number of English clubs, as attention starts to turn towards the January transfer window.

According to recent reports from TEAMTalk, Blackburn's Championship rivals Leicester City, Southampton and West Brom are all keeping tabs on the Chile international, ahead of a potential move when the market reopens.

However, there is also the possibility that Brereton-Diaz could get the chance of a move to the Premier League at that point, with both Crystal Palace and Burnley said to be keen on a move for the 24-year-old, who could apparently be allowed to leave on loan.

Following their promotion from the Championship last season, Burnley may well need to strengthen in January, given Vincent Kompany's side currently sit 19th in the top-flight table, with just four points from 11 league games this season.

But despite that, there is a strong argument to be made that, given Brereton-Diaz's career history, it feels unlikely he will be the one boosting the squad at Turf Moor come January.

Why might Burnley struggle to sign Brereton-Diaz in the January window?

Over the years, the East Lancashire derby between Blackburn and Burnley has developed into one of the bitterest and most fiercely contested rivalries in English football.

Meetings between the two sides are always hotly contested on the pitch, while there is never any love lost between the two sets of fans in and around the ground.

As a result, having just left Blackburn after more than five years at Ewood Park over the summer, the connection that the striker has built with the club, means he may be reluctant to cross the divide so soon after departing one half of this divide.

Indeed, having played in both fixtures between the two clubs last season, Brereton-Diaz should be well aware of how much this rivalry means to both clubs, so he may be reluctant to make a move here, that would surely not go down well among the fans who followed him so long.

It could also be argued that given his past with Blackburn, it would give Burnley fans even more ammunition if he made the move to Turf Moor and was unable to improve upon the challenging run of form he is currently enduring with Villarreal, which would then leave him facing more scrutiny and criticism, than he might do at another club.

Meanwhile, the fact that Crystal Palace also appear to be interested in him, means he would not be writing off his chances of a Premier League completely, were he to turn down a move to Burnley.

By contrast, with the Eagles currently 11th in the Premier League table, 11 points better off than Burnley, a move to Selhurst Park, as things stand, looks as though it has the potential to be a more productive and enjoyable one for Brereton-Diaz.

So with all that in mind, while it may be no shock if Brereton-Diaz does depart Villarreal in January, his connection to Blackburn, means it does feel as though something of a surprise if Burnley was to be his next destination.