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West Ham expected to win race to sign Ben Brereton Diaz after £15m update - pundit
Noel Whelan has tipped West Ham to win the race for Ben Brereton Diaz this summer amid reports of a potential £15million move.
The former Leeds striker, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, claimed the 23-year-old’s international experience with Chile could help him adjust to potential European football with the Hammers next term.
According to The Sun (7 May), West Ham are interested in a £15million move for Brereton Diaz this summer and have sent scout Alan Irvine to watch the former Nottingham Forest forward.
The report claims Sevilla are also interested in signing the striker this summer.
11-cap Chile man Brereton Diaz netted 22 Championship goals this season in 37 appearances for Blackburn Rovers.
Whelan claimed £15million for the red-hot striker would be “great business”.
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“He’s a good player, scored a lot of goals this season,” he told Football Insider‘s Ewan Kingsbury.
“They’ve needed a striker ever since Haller left – they’ve never really replaced him.
“£15million for a player with 22 Championship goals – that’s great business, in my opinion.
“With the quality and the creativity that West Ham could put in behind him, I believe he could be of great use. And they wouldn’t be breaking the bank.
“He’s got the experience with Chile as well. That could give him the edge in Europe with some of the more hostile atmospheres.
“There’ll be a lot of clubs looking to get him this summer, and rightly so. But I think West Ham have got what it takes to win the race.”
West Ham sit seventh in the Premier League and are favourites to secure a Europa Conference League berth.
The Irons’ only recognised striker at present is Michail Antonio.
In other news, David Moyes “embarrassed” as controversial West Ham footage analysed.