Blackburn Rovers head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson says nothing is official about striker Ben Brereton Diaz's future after reports suggesting that he has agreed a move to Villareal.

The Daily Express claimed earlier this month that Villareal were set to win the race for Brereton Diaz, offering him a five-year contract which would see him move Spain in the summer, with Lancs Live reporting that a deal has now been agreed.

Brereton Diaz scored 22 goals last season for Rovers and he has continued that impressive form this campaign, scoring 10 goals and providing four assists in all competitions.

The 23-year-old has attracted no shortage of interest in recent years and he has once again been the subject of much transfer speculation this month, with Premier League sides including Newcastle United, Everton, West Ham United and Leeds United all supposedly keen, but his £15 million price tag has proven to be a stumbling block, with clubs unwilling to meet that valuation.

But with his contract set to expire at the end of the season, he has been able to speak to foreign clubs about a pre-contract deal.

However, Tomasson was non-committal on the rumours and says he has no doubt that Brereton Diaz will remain focused on his current club.

"I can’t say if anything is official yet, maybe later on other people can say that," Tomasson told the Lancashire Telegraph.

"I don’t think it’s official, I haven’t heard it yet from Villarreal. If it should be Villarreal then they’re a great club.

"I’m not the coach for Villarreal, I’m the coach of Rovers, so let’s wait and see. We all know that he’ll do a good job for Blackburn, do his best.

"I can’t say if anything is official yet, maybe later on other people can say that.

"I have had the question more than 1,000 times and that’s understandable because he’s an important player for us, a great lad to work with.

"Let’s wait and see. The only thing is that Ben is happy to be a Rovers player at the moment and that’s the most important thing."

 

 

The verdict

It will be a huge blow for Blackburn to lose Brereton Diaz in the summer.

While his departure is not unexpected, it is still incredibly disappointing and it leaves Tomasson with a difficult task to replace his talisman.

It is a surprise to see Brereton Diaz agree to move to Villareal, particularly given there was significant Premier League interest in his services and it is something of a coup for the La Liga outfit.

But with Rovers currently sitting in the play-off places, keeping hold of Brereton Diaz until the end of the season will be crucial to their promotion hopes.