Newman could sign a huge Antonio upgrade in West Ham swoop for “phenomenal” £20m gem

West Ham United are in need of reinforcements after a lacklustre start to the Premier League season, and Blackburn Rovers’ Ben Brereton Diaz fits the bill…

What’s the word?

Having risen to the top of the talented pool of Championship strikers over the past two seasons, the 23-year-old has attracted the attention of numerous clubs across Europe.

West Ham are one such club with interest in the forward, with The Sun claiming last summer that Irons manager David Moyes wanted to bring the Chile international to the London Stadium. 

With Brereton Diaz’s contract with Rovers set to expire next summer, it is anticipated that scores of clubs will dive in to try and secure his signature, and with West Ham in need of bolstering their squad, a January transfer would be prudent.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, transfer specialist Dean Jones stated that the east London club indeed still want the 23-year-old, and that such a move might be forthcoming. 

He said: “I think West Ham are still in a pretty good position on this one for whenever the time comes to move, but he’s been prepped by a lot of teams this season, like a ridiculous number of teams.”

Antonio upgrade

Michail Antonio has been a stalwart for West Ham, a beloved figure and scorer of 66 goals for the Irons since signing from Nottingham Forest in 2015, although only five of those goals have come this season.

However, with the Jamaica international now 32, recruiting a fresh face to lead the line alongside £35.5m summer acquisition Gianluca Scamacca could reap rewards for the Hammers, who sit a lowly 16th in the Premier League after 14 matches, having clinched European qualification in the past two campaigns.

Brereton Diaz could be that man. Having netted 41 goals for Blackburn across 152 appearances, including ten this season, the 23-year-old has gone from strength to strength over the past 18 months. 

The 17-cap Chile star scored 22 times from 37 Championship outings last term, earning the £20m price tag that his club demanded for his signature. However, with his contract edging closer to its conclusion, such a demand might fall on deaf ears now.

Moyes will likely have been reminded of the forward’s prowess when he scored against the Hammers in the Carabao Cup this season, with Sofascore recording his match rating at 7.4 from his impactful 30-minute cameo off the bench. 

In the Championship this season, the €16m-rated (£14m) gem has averaged 2.7 shots per match and  created five big chances.

With West Ham’s two established centre-forwards recording one shot per game and one big chance created (Antonio), and 1.9 shots per game and one big chance created (Scamacca), the Blackburn man’s vastly superior level of output could indeed bode well if he is recruited to Moyes’ squad. 

Hailed as “phenomenal” by football scout Ron Dor, Brereton Diaz simply must be signed by Irons head of recruitment Rob Newman.

With the east London club languishing dangerously near the Premier League relegation zone, a return to the fine form of the last two campaigns is imperative for both the manager’s job security and the club’s top-flight future.