Leeds United have returned to the prospect of signing Blackburn Rovers forward Ben Brereton Diaz, according to Spanish outlet AS , amid growing interest from Premier League rivals West Ham United. The Chile international scored 22 goals and added three assists in 37 league games last season as his side missed out on the playoffs by six points.
The Whites have made clear their intention to sign a new striker this summer after Patrick Bamford’s injury problems last season left the front-line badly exposed. Jesse Marsch is keen to add competition to the duo of Bamford and Joe Gelhardt, but needs to remain careful not to stunt the 20-year-old’s growth at a pivotal moment in his career.
The club have been heavily linked with a blockbuster move for Club Brugge star Charles de Ketelaere, with reports of record-breaking bid being tabled, but face problems in convincing the 21-year-old to shun AC Milan for a move to West Yorkshire. Paris Saint-Germain forward Arnaud Kalimuendo has also been eyed by Victor Orta following two impressive loan spells with RC Lens.
But according to AS, the Leeds sporting director has approached Brereton Diaz’ camp again as he continues to scope out alternative options. Such a tactic is not unusual for Orta, who likes to maintain a list of potential arrivals to ensure he can react quickly to any complications.
West Ham are also said to have approached the forward’s representatives, backing the Chilean as an alternative to their top target, Sassuolo’s Gianluca Scamacca. Neither club have made an official bid for the 23-year-old, however, with Rovers deterring interest thanks to a £20million price tag.
Spanish outfit Sevilla are also interested in the Rovers man but are not willing to meet Blackburn’s demands, instead citing £10million as their valuation. Brereton Diaz featured for Jon Dahl Tomasson’s side against Celtic on Saturday, bending a beautiful free-kick into the bottom corner to level the score at 2-2.
Rovers kick off their 2022/2023 Championship campaign in less than two weeks time when they host Queens Park Rangers on Saturday, July 30, and all parties involved will want any potential deal to be finalised by then. Meanwhile, Leeds remain hopeful they can convince de Ketelaere on a move to Elland Road rather than Milan, while any deal for Kalimuendo may be accelerated by PSG’s signing of Hugo Ekitike.
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