Blackburn Rovers manager Jon Dahl Tomasson has revealed he told Ben Brereton-Diaz that he would still respect the player if he decided to move on this summer, making this admission to Lancs Live.

The 23-year-old has just one year left on his contract with Rovers deciding to trigger a one-year extension on his deal at Ewood Park this summer - and they find themselves in a similar situation to last year when Adam Armstrong also had just 12 months remaining on his terms at the time.

The latter moved on to Southampton during the previous summer window - and Brereton-Diaz's future also remains uncertain amid interest from West Ham United - with David Moyes believed to be keen on him.

 

 

Football League World understands that Wolverhampton Wanderers have also enquired about his services ahead of a potential approach, with the forward impressing for club and country last term.

He previously looked set to challenge Aleksandar Mitrovic for the Championship golden boot last term before his form dropped off - but he still recorded an impressive 22 goals in 37 league appearances.

At this stage, the 23-year-old doesn't seem to be on the verge of a move away from Lancashire but interest is likely to heat up between now and the end of the transfer window and with that potentially in mind, Tomasson has revealed he spoke to the Chilean about his future.

He said to Lancs Live: "The situation is quite good. Ben is a great player, great players are wanted, great players cost an amount of money which is simple.

"At the end of the day we all know what he’s capable of. He’s a very good player and a player I like and I like to work with him.

"I’ve told him that if he goes away, and anything in football is possible, I respect that. But he needs to work hard for the club, to do the best for the club, and with a smile because he’s a great boy."

The Verdict:

Having an open dialogue is valuable because it's possible that he will be sold this summer - and keeping communication lines open could ensure he seals a move away from Ewood Park without any problems.

It could also favour Rovers if they want to return to the negotiating table and offer the forward a new contract - and there's a potential chance he could put pen to paper on a new deal if there's a release clause.

Lewis O'Brien did something similar at Huddersfield Town and if he feels valued in Lancashire, Brereton-Diaz may decide to commit his future to Blackburn for now with the intention of moving on when his potential release clause is triggered.

And Tomasson's honesty will only help to maintain harmony in the first-team squad, potentially enabling their star man to thrive because of that amid interest from elsewhere.

Top performances from the 23-year-old will only help the whole team, so it's no real surprise that Tomasson is going for transparency and honesty instead of taking an alternative approach.