Transfer update emerges on West Ham and Leeds United’s pursuit of Blackburn Rovers star | OneFootball

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Football League World

·20 January 2022

Transfer update emerges on West Ham and Leeds United’s pursuit of Blackburn Rovers star

Article image:Transfer update emerges on West Ham and Leeds United’s pursuit of Blackburn Rovers star

Although the entire Blackburn squad have exceeded many peoples’ expectations so far this season in terms of their performances and league position, it’s the Chilean who has impressed most under Tony Mowbray, stepping up well in the absence of Adam Armstrong and Harvey Elliott to become their main talisman.

Scoring 20 goals in 27 league matches this term, he has generated considerable interest from Premier League sides in recent months, with Newcastle United (via Football Fancast) and West Ham both linked with a move for the 22-year-old.


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Article image:Transfer update emerges on West Ham and Leeds United’s pursuit of Blackburn Rovers star

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The forward is yet to sign fresh terms at Ewood Park with just a matter of months left on his current deal, although Rovers do have the option to extend his contract by a further 12 months and are expected to trigger that clause if they are unable to come to a new agreement with him.

David Moyes’ side have seemingly not been shy to scan the EFL for potential additions at the London Stadium, also being previously linked with moves for Middlesbrough’s Dael Fry and Queens Park Rangers’ Rob Dickie as they seek to find a replacement for the injured Angelo Ogbonna.

However, they may need to fork out £25m to lure the Chile international to the English capital according to the same report (via MOT Leeds News), a price tag that has proved to be too much for Leeds United who have pulled out of the race.

Spanish outfit Sevilla .

The Verdict:

Spending £25m on the Chilean would be quite a risk considering he’s only been replicating this current form this season, previously struggling to become accustomed to life at Ewood Park despite his big-money move from Nottingham Forest.

He is a talented player – but £25m is probably too much of a gamble to take at this stage because it’s unclear how well he will adapt to Premier League football. Throwing him at the deep end straight away if the Hammers recruit him this month may damage his confidence, so he would have to be managed carefully.

This is why Leeds are probably wise to pull out of the race for the time being, especially with Blackburn desperate to hold on to him and likely to hold out for an inflated fee.

West Ham, if they are to continue pursuing this deal, need to take a tough negotiating stance to get themselves the best deal possible. But they may need to rely on Brereton-Diaz submitting a transfer request if they want to strike a reasonable agreement.

This is unlikely though, with the 22-year-old seemingly enjoying his football in Lancashire and will be wanting to focus on his performances in his quest to have a successful remainder of the 2021/22 campaign.

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