Southampton are preparing for the Championship play-off final against Leeds United on Sunday.
The Wembley showpiece has huge implications, with the winner securing an instant return to the Premier League – and all the financial rewards that accompany it – and the loser set for another season in the Championship.
The summer transfer window will understandably be far from Russell Martin‘s thoughts as he tries to devise a plan to beat Leeds for a third time this season, but there is no hiding from the fact it looks set to be another busy off-season regardless of promotion.
If Southampton fall short on Sunday then they will expect to lose a number of players, however promotion opens the door to the possibility of signing a different calibre of player than is available to a Championship club.
With that in mind, Darren Bent has revealed on talkSPORT who the Saints should try and sign if they beat Leeds in the final.
Darren Bent recommends Ben Brereton Diaz to Southampton
Bent knows a thing or two about strikers, having scored 218 goals across his club career, as well as four for England according to Transfermarkt.
Bent was talking about Sheffield United on talkSPORT and highlighted Ben Brereton Diaz, who spent the second-half of the season on loan at the club from Villarreal.
This was Brereton Diaz’ first experience of the Premier League, having played for Nottingham Forest and Blackburn Rovers in the Championship and Bent believes his future will lie in the top flight with Villarreal likely to move the 25-year-old on this summer.
Bent suggested that the striker would be a good option for a club coming up from the Championship, mentioning Southampton as a possible destination.
The former Tottenham and Aston Villa centre-forward said: “I like Ben Brereton Diaz. If I am a newly promoted side going up, he is definitely one I would look at because his movement is good.
“He got six in 14. Nearly one in two. At Sheffield United. Come on.”
“He went away to Villarreal, didn’t really play and then came back to Sheffield United. He is definitely one, if I am Ipswich, Leeds or Southampton. I think, yes, he is definitely I would say, yeah (too good for the Championship).”
Brereton Diaz a proven goalscorer
As Bent highlighted, Brereton Diaz’ six goals in 14 Premier League games for a really poor Sheffield Untied side is an impressive return.
In fact, Brereton Diaz finished the season as the Blades’ joint top goalscorer with Oil McBurnie, despite having played so few games. With Che Adams looking set to leave when his contract expires in the summer it would make sense for the Saints to be interested in a move.
It is fair to say it hasn’t yet worked out for the attacker since joining Villarreal on a free transfer last summer, with no goals or assists in his 20 games in all competitions so a return to England a year on would make sense for all parties.
Luckily, the spell in Spain is the exception rather than the rule when it comes to Brereton Diaz’ goalscoring return, as the player scored 14 and 22 in his final two Championship seasons prior to making the move according to Transfermarkt.
He also has a respectable seven goals in 29 international games for Chile, qualifying through his mother despite playing for England at youth level.
Brereton Diaz is not an out-and-out striker either, often playing from a left wing position, and could be an astute signing if Southampton make a Premier League return.