London, Jan 5 (IANS): Sheffield United have completed the signing of Chilean international striker Ben Brereton Diaz, the Premier League club said on Friday. He arrives from La Liga club Villarreal CF until the end of the season and could make his debut in the FA Cup third-round tie at Gillingham on Saturday, providing international clearance is achieved.

"As soon as I knew there was interest, I spoke to a few people, and we got it done quickly. I wasn't really playing out there (in Spain) and was told I could go out on loan, so it is great to be over in England now at such a great club and a club I know well through playing against. I can't wait to get started," Brereton Diaz said.

Brereton Diaz has a history in English football, having been part of Manchester United and Stoke City's youth set-up before joining Nottingham Forest in 2015. He then moved to Blackburn Rovers in 2018, initially on loan, before making the move a permanent one in January 2019 for a reported fee of £7 million. His best season for the club was in 2021/22 where he scored 22 goals in all competitions, which included a strike against the Blades at Ewood Park.

In the last season, he scored a further 16 times across all competitions before moving to La Liga, signing a four-year deal with Villarreal.