Blackburn Rovers edged their way past West Ham United in the EFL Cup on Wednesday night, winning 10-9 in the penalty shootout that followed a dramatic 2-2 draw. 

Jack Vale had given Jon Dahl Tomasson’s side the lead, only for Pablo Fornals and Michail Antonio to put West Ham in control of the tie with a goal in either half.

Then, on 88 minutes, Ben Brereton Diaz struck a superb equaliser for Rovers, taking the game to penalties.

It’s Football League World’s understanding that the Blackburn man is attracting plenty of interest heading into January, with it actually West Ham that are leading the race to sign the Chile international despite a scouting mission from Manchester United.

West Ham got a first-hand view of what the forward can offer in the cup, and we run through a few talking points here:

Is it a good potential move?

You’ve got to say it is.

Looking at Brereton Diaz, he’s approaching the end of his contract at Ewood Park and quite clearly has sights on playing in the Premier League before long, whether that’s with Blackburn or elsewhere.

If it is to be elsewhere, it might as well be at a club like West Ham, who are established, rather than a side likely to be looking over their shoulders and fighting for their lives in the division.

West Ham would be getting a quality player, too, one that scores goals for fun and offers a particular threat from the left.

Football League World have been told that it might only be a £10m fee to land the 23-year-old in January, or alternatively he will be a free agent next summer. It’s not a deal that’s going to break the bank.

Would he start?

Let’s not pretend that Brereton Diaz would be the main man like he is at Blackburn. West Ham have some very good players across the park, particularly in attack.

However, there are a couple of factors that do suggest that the forward would get his fair share of minutes.

Firstly, West Ham will be playing across three competitions from January onwards: Premier League, FA Cup and Europa Conference League. After crashing out of the EFL Cup against Blackburn, you’d think they’ll be taking the latter two quite seriously, fielding strong teams. As a result of that, opportunities will come regularly for Brereton Diaz.

In addition to that, West Ham are hardly pulling up any trees in the final third. As per Wyscout, West Ham’s average xG in 22/23 sits at 1.64 per 90, with David Moyes’ side underperforming at 1.38. Brereton Diaz, across all formats this season, has 11 goals from an xG of 7.72 and is significantly outperforming the statistics.

West Ham could do with that sort of clinical individual in the squad at the very least. Then, if he proves to be clinical, it would leave Moyes with a decision to make on his starting credentials.

What does he offer?

It’s hard to look past Brereton Diaz and his goals.

Since the start of the 2021/22 campaign, Brereton Diaz has scored a combined 35 goals for Blackburn and Chile, without ever really playing as a central striker. It’s an incredible record for a forward that likes to play off the left, cutting in and shooting, as he did against West Ham.

Beyond the goals, though, there are some good numbers already posted in 2022/23: 2.92 shots per 90, 3.18 dribbles, 2.23 progressive runs and 3.56 touches in the opposition penalty area (Wyscout). Brereton Diaz is a positive presence in the game, doing all the right things to ensure he’s making a good impact in the final third.

The result of that is often goals, and lots of them.