Championship Clubs Join Chase For Premier League Flop

West Bromwich Albion and Middlesbrough have registered an interest in signing Southampton flop Ben Brereton Diaz over the last few hours, with the two clubs looking to reinforce their attacking options with the window drawing to a close, according to a report from Sportsboom.

Brereton, 26, joined Southampton amidst their miserable Premier League campaign last season, having impressed amidst the relegation of Sheffield United from the top flight the season prior, joining The Blades on a load deal from La Liga side Villareal. The Stoke-born Chile international made 10 league appearances before returning to Brammall Lane on loan for the second half of the season, impressing in neither stint.

Southampton are looking to let go of the forward this summer, and West Brom and Middlesbrough could be two suitors for his services.

Baggies and Boro Bound for Brereton

Southampton are happy to let go of Ben Brereton Diaz, whom they purchased from Villareal for £7m in the summer of 2024, as they sought to survive relegation from the Premier League that season.

Ben Brereton Diaz highlights 24/25

Going to tear up the championship 🔥 pic.twitter.com/HETlUdMMWa
— Saints Statistics (@TheStatsSaint) July 5, 2025

13 total appearances later, Brereton's future on the South Coast all but came to a close with a loan to Sheffield United in the second half of the season. Now back in the fold with The Saints, the Chile international did not appear in either of Southampton's opening two games of the Championship season.

West Bromwich Albion and Middlesbrough are two clubs seeking to bring Brereton into their attacking regiments, with a deal likely to cost around £7m again, with the 26-year-old having a contract at St. Mary's until 2028.

Saints Look to be Rid of Brereton

Ben Brereton Diaz is best known for his time at Blackburn Rovers, for whom he made 144 league appearances and scored 45 times after signing for £7m from now-Premier League side Nottingham Forest in 2018 (initially on loan).

His impressive showings in Lancashire took him to La Liga on a free transfer in 2023. However, the forward found his game time limited for The Yellow Submarine, scoring zero goals along the way, and made his way into the Premier League just half a season later with a loan to Sheffield United. He impressed in Sheffield, scoring six goals from 14 top-flight matches as The Blades succumbed to relegation.

Ben Brereton Diaz has played 18 Premier League matches, and won none.

Only Oliver Burke has played more top-flight matches before taking part in a win (27).#PL pic.twitter.com/0356zsD397
— Louis Wheeldon (@LouisWheeldonNS) September 14, 2024

That spark amidst a relegation battle prompted Southampton to spend £7m on Brereton, where he again went goalless from 13 games in a disappointing string of performances, whilst also breaking the record for the most Premier League games played in a row by a player without winning (stretching back to his time in Sheffield).

After a decent spell back in Yorkshire, where he scored four league goals and played 18 minutes of the playoff final at Wembley as The Blades missed out on promotion at the hands of Sunderland, Southampton are looking to move Brereton on this summer.

Now, with Southampton happy to be rid of Brereton, West Brom and Middlesbrough aim to throw the 26-year-old a lifeline.

Published 22 Aug 2025

An avid gambler, football obsessive and loyal Nottingham Forest fan, Louis has been writing about football and wider sports since he was just 15 years old.

Armed with a Football Journalism degree from the University of Derby, he initially joined the Football Park team in April 2025 as a Freelance Writer, before quickly being offered a full-time position as the site's Lead Writer and Betting Strategist. His time working in football has taken him to every corner of the sports media landscape possible, with roles for GiveMeSport, Reach PLC and VAVEL included amongst the 15 different websites he has written for in the past, whilst his roles in club media include non-league sides Hucknall Town and Basford United - he can still be found on live radio commentary with the latter from time to time - as well as Nottingham Forest themselves.

During his tenure at GiveMeSport, Louis showcased his range by producing everything from historical deep-dives into Liverpool's greatest-ever finishers to tactical breakdowns. His expertise also extends to the betting markets, where he has provided sharp match analysis and predictions for fixtures such as England vs. Finland in the Nations League.

Louis holds a knowledge of the 92 and it's various combatants that is as varied as it is mildly concerning. He channelled this keen interest in the sport into a hopeful career in professional journalism back in 2018 with the launch of his own personal From12Yards blog whilst studying for his GCSE's, before expanding his list of clientele with articles on his beloved Nottingham Forest for a local newspaper and freelancing for different publications over a range of sports, including darts, professional wrestling, MMA, boxing and Formula 1 (he talks about Daniel Ricciardo a concerning amount).

View all articles by Louis Wheeldon →

Championship Clubs Join Chase For Premier League Flop