Ben Brereton-Diaz confirms Blackburn Rovers decision ahead of Villarreal transfer

Ben Brereton-Diaz has confirmed his Blackburn Rovers exit ahead of all-but certainly joining Villarreal this summer.

The highly-rated striker scored twice for Blackburn as they pulled off a win over Millwall in their final game of the season. The win was enough to deny Millwall a playoff spot, but results elsewhere meant Blackburn missed out on a top six spot.

Brereton-Diaz’s time at Blackburn is now over, with his contract officially expiring on June 30. Due to that expiring contract, the striker has been able to formally speak to clubs outside of England since January 1.

Villarreal have held such talks, and they have already agreed a deal with Brereton-Diaz ahead of next season. The Chile international is keen to expand his Spanish-speaking brand and place himself into an environment where he is speaking Spanish daily, given he is still learning the language.

After his final game for Blackburn, Brereton-Diaz didn’t confirm his Villarreal move, but he did confirm his exit from his current club.

“All I can say really is I’ve had a great time at Blackburn Rovers and unfortunately I’m not going to be there next season, but I don’t want to say anything more about it now,” he told Sky Sports.

“It’s been a great time here, I’ve enjoyed all my time at the club, I’ve made some great friends and family, but that’s my time at Blackburn Rovers done.”