Southampton have made progress in their pursuit of signing one transfer target wanted by Russell Martin.
After securing promotion back to the Premier League, Russell Martin is on the prowl for reinforcements to bolster his squad this summer.
Southampton have made their presence known so far in the transfer window, with plenty more movement expected before deadline day.
After bidding farewell to Che Adams, the hunt for a striker has heated up as the Saints now look close to closing one highly speculated deal.
Southampton now close to striking a deal with Villarreal for Ben Brereton Diaz
Southampton have been linked to Ben Brereton Diaz this summer, as the Chilean looks likely to depart Villarreal.
The 25-year-old spent the second half of the 2023/24 campaign on loan in the Premier League with Sheffield United, where he impressed in the English top flight.
While things haven’t worked for the former Blackburn Rovers ace in Spain, his displays in England have been enough to inspire Martin in the market.
This week, Spanish outlet AS reported that the Saints are now ‘close’ to reaching an agreement with Villarreal to sign Brereton Diaz.
The report says that a £6.7m fee will be paid by Southampton to acquire the 25-year-old, with the south coast being his ‘next destination’ unless things dramatically change.
Martin will be delighted to close Brereton Diaz deal
Although the versatile forward’s time in La Liga was extremely underwhelming, Martin will be pleased to capture the talent of Brereton Diaz.
Aside from his six months with Villarreal, the Chile international has spent his entire career in England, where he has impressed at Nottingham Forest, Blackburn and Sheffield United.
Once lauded for his “unbelievable” form at international level by journalist Matias Grez, the forward has the ability to thrive in Martin’s squad, where a vacancy in the front line could soon be filled.
With the Blades last season, Brereton Diaz netted six goals in only 14 appearances in the Premier League, sporting a conversion rate of 17%, via Sofascore.
It will be interesting to now see the Villarreal outsider join the project at St Mary’s, with his new-found Premier League experience set to be put to the test as the Saints prepare for their top flight return.
Anything can happen in the transfer window however, the latest reports in Spain make it very clear that Southampton are the most likely to capture Brereton Diaz this summer.