Derby County and Southampton to agree summer transfer? £2m-£3m would be a "fair deal" | OneFootball

Ben Brereton Diaz was full of praise for Derby County when quizzed on his loan spell with the Rams, but will he sign for them permanently this summer?

Derby County are more than likely set for another season in England's second tier, as although they are not out of the play-off picture just yet with two games to go, they'd need a massively favourable set of negative results from Wrexham and Hull City, as well as winning their own matches to sneak in.

Not many would have predicted the Rams to finish in the top-six, but they've caught the eye for all the right reasons this term, and if they do end up narrowly missing out as expected, they can certainly take encouragement heading towards the 2026/27 season.

Derby have had their fair share of loan players that have made a positive impact in John Eustace's side, and it'll be interesting to see whether they look to turn any of those loans into permanent moves during the summer transfer window.

Ben Brereton Diaz has recently spoken out on his experience with Derby this season whilst on loan from Championship rivals Southampton, and it's safe to say that the Rams supporters will be delighted with that he had to say.

"When I knew that I could go out on loan, and Derby was a choice, it was a no-brainer," Brereton Diaz said.

"They’re a great club and, in the past, I played against them and the supporters and everything like that, so I thought it was a great fit for myself, and obviously, speaking to the gaffer, it was really good.

"I’m so happy I made the decision to come here on loan because it’s such a great club, and I’ve enjoyed myself. I’ve got great minutes on the pitch, obviously scoring goals again now. The lads are brilliant; it’s a great squad with a lot of Championship experience in the squad."

Derby County told to consider permanent Ben Brereton Diaz move

Brereton Diaz is contracted with Southampton until the summer of 2028, and it seems unlikely that he'll have much of a long-term future, especially when the Saints already have some strong attacking options that are more likely to be able to adjust to the step up to the top-flight should they return there.

Football League World's Derby County fan pundit, Shaun Woodward issued his verdict on Brereton Diaz's future with Derby County, and admitted that if Southampton win promotion into the Premier League, then it could speed up the Chilean international's departure from St Mary's.

"Diaz has made it clear that he wants to stay at Derby, and I think there's no secrets there that Eustace really likes the player. I think he'll want to make the move happen in the transfer window coming up," Shaun told FLW.

"I think that if Southampton get promoted, then that'll probably help us, because they'll want to offload some of their fringe players that they can't see making the step up. Brereton Diaz does fall into that bracket, and it'll probably put the price down a bit."

How much should Derby County bid for Ben Brereton Diaz?

Brereton Diaz's future with Southampton could ultimately depend on which division they're playing in, and Derby are highly likely to be keeping a close eye on his situation, particularly if the Saints look to move on a number of players ahead of a potential return to the Premier League.

Woodward went on to reveal how much Derby should look at bidding for Brereton Diaz, whilst also being confident that the 27-year-old would stick with John Eustace's side after such a positive loan spell this season.

"I'd be looking to offer them £2m or £3m, which I think is a fair shout," Shaun added.

"He's still at a good age, but it just hasn't worked out for him at Southampton. I don't think they're going to be too fussed about losing him, even if they do stay in the league (Championship).

"They're going to be looking at other targets, so I think £2m-£3m is a fair price, and I think that if we offer that, there will probably be other clubs looking to do the same, but hopefully his experience with Derby this season will make him want to stay with us.

"He has a great relationship with Eustace and a lot of the players at the club. He looks at home with Derby, he's had a really good season, and there's more to come from him."

Brereton signed for Southampton in the summer of 2024 from Villarreal for £7 million, with the Spanish outfit making a big profit on their free transfer investment the year prior, but he didn't have a successful time of things in the Premier League with the Saints, eventually being loaned out to Sheffield United in the second half of the campaign.

And if Brereton were to sign for Derby permanently, it could be the restart to his career that is needed to put him back in the limelight, like when he first emerged as a Chile international back in 2021 to much fanfare.