Blackburn Rovers striker could command hefty fee amid West Ham interest | OneFootball

Blackburn Rovers will be determined not to let Ben Brereton-Diaz leave on the cheap this month if he does decide to walk out of the exit door and that much has become apparent, with Claret & Hugh reporting that a deal would have to be worth £28.5m.

The Hammers are the latest in a string of sides to show an interest in the Chile international, with several other Premier League outfits all believed to be keen to bring him to the top flight this month.

He’s become a valuable asset for Blackburn though and that has been reflected in the reported asking price for his services. With the player becoming one of the best attackers in the entire league, it looks like West Ham – or any other interested party – may now have to part with a whopping £28.5m to seal a deal for him.

Quiz: Can you name which club Blackburn Rovers signed these 28 midfielders from?

1 of 28

1) Leighton Clarkson

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They’d certainly be getting goals with Brereton-Diaz, with the player managing 20 in just 27 Championship outings so far this season. It’s his best tally in competitive football yet and at just 22-years-old, it looks as though the sky is the limit for the striker.

However, whether West Ham will be able to afford that fee – or even want to part with so much cash for him – is another matter. He would well into eight-figures and it would be one of the biggest fees ever paid for an EFL player.

If David Moyes is interested though – and they have the funds – then we could be about to see a huge transfer deal take place for the Chile international before the window closes if this is the fee that ends up being agreed.

The Verdict

We knew that Blackburn wouldn’t want to part ways with the striker and we also knew that they would likely ask for a sizeable fee for him – but £28.5m is an astronomical amount of money for a Championship player.

Rovers are probably well in their rights to ask for that much considering his goalscoring exploits but it isn’t likely that any team will part with such a high amount for the player. He can certainly hit the back of the net on a regular basis and age is on his side but for someone who has yet to play in the Premier League, it’s a high-priced gamble.

West Ham may not have the funds to do a deal and could end up being priced out of one then – as could many other interested parties. That is probably what Rovers want though, as they look to try and seal a promotion this season with him leading the forward line.

If someone does end up tabling a bid of this size though, then there is no way that Blackburn could turn it down – it’s just whether someone has the ability to stump it up.