West Ham in for Ben Brereton Diaz after Lingard Disappointment

West Ham United have named other targets in attacking areas that need attention after missing out on Jesse Lingard, who joined Nottingham Forest on Thursday, July 21.

According to the MailOnline:

"West Ham manager David Moyes is maintaining an interest in Ben Brereton Diaz at Blackburn. Burnley’s Dwight McNeil is another possibility but Brereton Diaz is preferred and Crystal Palace could also move for McNeil.Blackburn may be looking to unload Brereton Diaz this summer to avoid him leaving on a free transfer next summer at the end of his contract. Sevilla were also thought to hold an interest in the forward but it remains to be seen whether they will match Rovers’ valuation."

Lingard’s Decision a Strange One?

Lingard’s decision to join Forest seems to be a crazy one, given how well he performed for the Hammers back in 2021. Back then, Lingard helped West Ham qualify for the Europa League, arguably going down as one of the best transfers that season, even though he joined during the January transfer window.

The club will be looking to qualify for one of the more prestigious European competitions next season while Forest, who just gained promotion, will be looking to stay in the division.

However, manager Moyes should be looking to sign players who are hungry and want to play for the club. This could be Brereton Diaz and while he is an unknown quality, given he has never played in the Premier League, he has an impressive record in the Championship as well as international appearances for Chile.

Brereton Diaz was born in Stoke-on-Trent, England to a Chilean mother. He was part of Manchester United and Stoke City’s academies before getting his breakthrough at Forest. He made 57 appearances for the club, scoring nine goals and completing seven assists.

His form at the City Ground got him a move to Blackburn Rovers in 2019, where he really started to shine in the Championship. In total, he scored 31 goals in 117 appearances in the division for the Rovers.

He represented England at u19 and u20 levels but switched allegiances to Chile, which he qualified for through his mother. He made his debut for the South American side in 2021 and now has 15 caps for his country with 4 goals.

He also played at the 2021 Copa America where Chile got to the quarter-finals before being narrowly knocked out 1-0 by Brazil. With his national team, he has experience playing against the likes of Lionel Messi and Neymar.

Brereton Diaz Could Be the Perfect Addition to West Ham’s Roster

He is usually a centre-forward which West Ham is in need of but he can also play on either wing. His form especially in the Championship last season, where he scored 22 goals in 37 appearances, shows he might be ready for the step up into the Premier League.

He was also voted Blackburn Players’ Player of the Season and was included in the PFA Championship Team of the Year for the 2021/22 campaign.

West Ham may have missed out on Lingard but there are other options in attacking areas for the club. They face a tough test in the Premier League’s opening weekend where they face Manchester City, which is not that far away now.

The club needs to get some more business done quickly if they are to be at full strength at the very start of the season. Another worry for West Ham and Moyes, they will face competition from La Liga side, Sevilla, who are reportedly ready to submit a £9m bid for Diaz.