Southampton are stepping up their efforts to sign a striker who will be available to make a move this summer.
Russell Martin has seen his Southampton squad make a positive start to pre-season with two wins from two games but will know there is still plenty of work to be done ahead of the Premier League starting.
With Che Adams now confirmed to have signed for Torino following the end of his Southampton contract, the Saints are short of firepower in a season they will need it more than ever.
With Ross Stewart’s continued fitness woes and Adam Armstrong and Sekou Mara both struggling to make an impact previously in the Premier League, Martin unquestionably needs a new centre-forward.
- READ MORE: Why Armel Bella-Kotchap and Ross Stewart are missing from Southampton’s pre-season training camp
With seven signings having already arrived this summer, it looks as though Southampton are prepared to continue their spending with a deal for a forward that impressed on loan in the Premier League last season.
Southampton ‘pushing’ to sign Villarreal striker Ben Brereton Diaz
That player is Ben Brereton Diaz, the Villarreal striker who spent the last six months on loan at Sheffield United.
Despite the Blades’ dismal season in which they finished bottom of the league with just 16 points, Brereton Diaz showed he is capable of scoring goals at the top level with six in 14 appearances.
Martin was interested in bringing the 25-year-old to St Mary’s in January but was beaten by Sheffield United to his signing.
- READ MORE: New Southampton signing admits Ralph Hasenhuttl rejected him in 2020 before returning this summer
However, it now looks like Southampton will return for the Chile international in a bid to bolster their front-line.
That is according to teamTALK, who report that Southampton are ‘leading the hunt’ for Brereton Diaz.
Having singed as a free agent from Blackburn Rovers last summer, the striker is yet to score for Villarreal and finds himself low on the pecking order at the club.
As such, he is reported to ‘face an uncertain future’ and is said to be ‘keen on a return to the Premier League’.
The report goes on to add that: ‘Southampton are long-term admirers of Brereton Diaz having previously tried to sign him prior to his move to Villarreal and also Sheffield United last January and they are now pushing to finally land the versatile forward’.
Brereton Diaz could be a really good addition for Southampton
It is unclear at this stage whether Villarreal will be willing to sanction a sale just one year after singing Brereton Diaz.
However, they are likely to let the 33-cap Chile international leave on loan at the very least so Southampton should be confident of securing a deal in some capacity.
What makes Brereton Diaz really attractive is that he has not only shown he can score goals in a struggling Premier League side but he can also play all along the front line.
This versatility would give Martin the ability to play a variety of ways should the forward arrive and his relationship with Armstrong from their fruitful time playing up front together at Blackburn together will also be a bonus.
It was at Blackburn that Brereton Diaz earned the praise of his manager Tony Mowbray, who said of the striker after a telling impact in a draw with Swansea City in 2020: “You saw what I saw today; Brereton with the ball at his feet is an extraordinary talent.
“He’s a wonderful footballer who can dribble with both feet, take people out of the game.”
Southampton need a player who can prove to be a difference-maker and Brereton Diaz could just be exactly that.