Brereton Diaz joins Sheffield United

Premier League side Sheffield United have announced the signing of Ben Brereton Diaz on a loan deal from Villarreal until the end of the season.

The 24-year-old forward bolsters The Blades’ strike force with Chris Wilder’s men sitting firmly at the bottom-of-the-table as we begin the New Year.

Brereton Diaz only joined Villarreal as recently as this summer when he left Blackburn Rovers on a free transfer. He made 12 La Liga appearances without scoring, having a last-minute winner cruelly chalked off by the VAR for a dubious foul against Sevilla in November.

The Stoke-born attacker began his career at Nottingham Forest before a loan move to Blackburn in 2018. At that stage he had just eight goals in 69 league appearances but then became a prolific forward over the course of two seasons for Rovers, notching 36 goals in 80 Championship games.

Internationally, he has proven to be a hit with the Chilean national side after representing England at both U19 and U20 level. He has scored seven goals in 27 caps for the Chileans and will be hoping to become a key man by the time the 2026 FIFA World Cup comes around.

Brereton Diaz’s United debut could come as soon as this weekend when the South Yorkshire club face Gillingham at the Priestfield Stadium on Saturday afternoon in the third round of the FA Cup.