West Brom and Middlesbrough to battle for the signature of ‘extraordinary’ Southampton ace

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Southampton have had to fight off several approaches for their stars this summer from Premier League clubs; now it looks like they will have to do it with sides from the Championship.

The Saints have already seen several faces leave the squad this summer, with Kyle Walker-Peters departing for free, while Aaron Ramsdale joined Newcastle United on a loan deal.

Tyler Dibling had been the subject of interest from Everton all summer; however, this looks to have quietened down as Will Still explained how the teenager has been reintegrated into the squad.

While the club have been linked with signing Finn Azaz from Middlesbrough, the Saints may be losing a player to move in the other direction.

• READ MORE: Liam Manning addresses the future of Norwich City star amid links to Everton and Nottingham Forest

Middlesbrough and West Brom to battle for Ben Brereton Diaz

It has been reported in the Yorkshire Post, taking their info from SportsBoom, that Sheffield United, West Brom and Middlesbrough are set to battle for the signature of Ben Brereton Diaz.

The Chilean international demonstrated while he was at Blackburn Rovers that he was a striker who could lead the line and contribute heavily in clubs looking to compete for the play-offs.

Brereton Diaz spent the second half of last season on loan at Sheffield United, and this may make them favourites for his signature, as it is expected Tyrese Campbell will leave the club, meaning they need attacking reinforcements.

Meanwhile, West Brom and Middlesbrough want to add to their attacking options, with Brereton Diaz identified as the man to do this.

While at Blackburn, Brereton Diaz scored 47 goals in 176 appearances; since then, he has only scored 10 goals across 68 matches for Villarreal, Southampton and Sheffield United.

• READ MORE: Southampton plan for life without Tyler Dibling by holding talks with Middlesbrough attacker ‘open to the deal’

Tony Mowbray on the ability of Ben Brereton Diaz

The Chilean international found his best form under the former Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray, with the experienced coach highly impressed by the player throughout his tenure.

As reported in FourFourTwo, he said: “The starting point is his work rate. Strikers obviously always get the glory of scoring goals, but he’s a kid who works his socks off for this team, up and down, up and down.

“He’s not playing down the middle; he’s not the Adam Armstrong centre-forward who is there to finish things off.

He’s working extraordinarily hard tracking full backs – or wing-backs, as it was today. So the physical output has been amazing, really.

“The fact that he’s developing his finishing technique…I saw somewhere this week he was talking about how hard he works coming in off that left on his right foot and trying to bend balls in the far corner or reverse them back into the near post.

“I’m just delighted he’s getting the rewards for all the hard work he does, as they all do, to be honest. The training sessions are less group training sessions and more individual, and the team are seeing the benefit of that.”