Southampton have completed a £7million deal for Ben Brereton Diaz as the Chile international returns to the Premier League from Villarreal after last season’s relegation with Sheffield United

• Saints sign striker Villareal ahead of Premier League return
• Brereton Diaz was a rare silver lining for Sheffield United last season on loan
• The Stoke-born Chile international started his senior career at Blackburn

Southampton will welcome Villareal’s Ben Brereton Diaz to St Mary’s this summer, securing the forward’s £7million signature.

The Chile international has been unveiled by Saints after signing a four-year deal with the south coast club.

Brereton Diaz is the second signing for Saints, who won promotion back to the Premier League from the Championship via the play-offs last season.

He will fill a hole in the Saints front line left by Che Adams, who left for Serie A club Torino after rejecting a new deal to stay at the Solent.

“I’m absolutely stoked,” Brereton Diaz said of his move to the Saints. “It’s been smooth over the last couple of days and I’m happy to get everything sorted and signed.

“I’m really excited to meet everyone, it’s great to be involved in this great club.”

Saints boss Russell Martin said: “I am very pleased to welcome Ben to the fold. He is a versatile and intelligent footballer, capable of playing in several positions in the forward line.

“He is a strong, strong runner and a confident finisher with a good goal record, including a spell in the Premier League last season where he adapted to the level extremely quickly.”

The 25-year-old is no stranger to England’s top flight after impressing on loan at Sheffield United for the second half of the 2023-24 season, scoring six goals in 14 appearances.

He has been at La Liga club Villareal for just one year, having joined from Blackburn in the summer of 2023.

Born in Stoke, Brereton Diaz came through the youth ranks at Manchester United, Stoke City and Nottingham Forest before signing a professional contract with Blackburn where he spent five years.

He made 147 appearances for Rovers in that time, scoring 47 goals.

The 25-year-old swapped Blackburn for Spain last summer and went on to spend the second half of last season on loan at Sheffield United, where he scored six goals in 14 top-flight appearances.

He switched his international allegiance to Chile after coming through England’s youth set-up and made his debut in 2021.

Brereton Diaz played in all three of Chile’s Copa America games last month as La Roja finished third in Group A behind Argentina and Canada.

The Chilean became Southampton’s second signing of the day, having previously announced the purchase of Kuryu Matsuki from FC Tokyo.

The 21-year-old midfielder will spend the season on loan at fellow club Sport Republic Goztepe.

He joins summer signings Adam Lallana, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Charlie Taylor, Ronnie Edwards, Nathan Wood, Yukinari Sugawara and Flynn Downes.