West Ham United have cooled their interest in Blackburn Rovers forward Ben Brereton-Diaz, according to an update from talkSPORT.

The Chilean has been the subject of interest from several clubs during this summer window after enduring a remarkable 2021/22 campaign, recording 22 goals in 37 league appearances as he arguably enjoyed the best season of his career so far.

And he looks set to carry on in the same vein this season, scoring twice in Rovers' opening four league matches despite not being able to shine in their 3-0 loss against Reading yesterday evening, even being withdrawn for Tayo Edun late on at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.

 

 

French top-tier outfit Nice have reportedly had a £10m bid rejected, though they aren't the only side interested in luring him away from Ewood Park with Everton and Bournemouth also keeping tabs on him ahead of a potential approach.

Leeds United have also been credited with an interest in him in the past, though it's currently unclear whether they will launch a formal offer for his services with the 23-year-old not being one of their top targets.

He only has one year left on his deal and that could allow any side in the race for him to secure a cut-price deal - but the Hammers don't look to be a side that will be looking to take advantage of that with David Moyes' side now cooling their interest.

The Verdict:

This may not be the worst decision because Brereton-Diaz hasn't proved himself in the top flight yet and with the London-based outfit wanting to fight at the right end of the table, the Chilean may not have been the best signing at this stage.

Already forking out considering amounts on the likes of Gianluca Scamacca, Flynn Downes and Maxwel Cornet, Moyes needs to ensure he's getting value for money on players.

Although Blackburn may potentially be willing to come to a sensible arrangement, it remains to be seen whether the 23-year-old would have been able to cope with the demands of the top flight straight away.

It took him some time to adapt to life at Ewood Park and he would need to relocate if he was to link up with the Hammers, so it would have been some achievement if he was fit and firing for the Hammers straight away.

And in terms of the player, he wasn't guaranteed to be one of the first names on the teamsheet anyway and may have a better chance of being more regularly involved at Bournemouth, so this update may not be a crushing blow for him.