Villarreal star facing last chance saloon following disappointing spell since summer move

There was much expectation within Villarreal during the summer for the arrival of Ben Brereton Diaz, who joined the club as a free agent following the expiration of his contract at English side Blackburn Rovers.

However, he has only started five matches this season. This has been a result of failing to impress both Quique Setien and Pacheta. Neither are at the club, and with Marcelino Garcia Toral now Villarreal’s new manager, it is a chance for (another) fresh start for Brereton Diaz.

Cadena SER’s Xavier Sidro discussed Brereton Diaz’s situation at Villarreal with Chilean media En Cancha, and he admitted that time is running out for the 24-year-old to stake his claim in Castellon, as per Estadio Deportivo.

“Here in Spain, Ben was not well known, but there were expectations for his signing, which he has obviously not been able to meet. Of course, I feel that it would be very unfair if he were to be classified as a failure today, since he arrived at a team full of changes, in which the only signing that has succeeded being Alexander Sorloth.

“Nothing has gone right for Brereton Diaz. He has had no continuity (in the starting line-up), and the few opportunities he has had have been wasted. The perfect example is the match against sixth-tier Chiclana in the Copa del Rey, where he could not make an impact.

“He hasn’t started with two different coaches, which is worrying. The new coach (Marcelino) has already commented that in January there will be changes to the team, so he has this month and a half to convince his new manager that he deserves to stay.”

It is very much approaching last chance saloon for Brereton Diaz, which is remarkable considering he only joined in the summer. However, football is a cutthroat environment, and Villarreal will especially be that over the next few weeks.