Derby County could be set to lose loan forward Ben Brereton-Diaz during the January transfer window, following reported interest from the MLS.
The Rams have enjoyed life under John Eustace so far this season, currently competing in the top half of the Championship as the division approaches the busy festive period.
Though scoring goals haven’t necessarily been a problem for Derby so far this season, one player that has scored this season could be finding himself a new home for 2026.
MLS interest for Derby County loanee
As reported by journalist Luca Bendoni, MLS side Toronto FC are reportedly interested in striking a deal with Southampton for Chilean international Ben Brereton-Diaz.
Brereton-Diaz is currently approaching the midway stage of his loan spell with fellow Championship side Derby County but hasn’t necessarily had the desired impact with the Rams thus far.
With Southampton currently thriving in the Championship in recent weeks, Brereton-Diaz doesn’t appear to be in favour there but is still under contract until June 2028.
However, the Daily Echo have claimed that Southampton won’t stand in his way, should he wish to leave the club permanently in January – though Derby would need to agree to an early release from his loan spell.
How has he fared this season?
Since joining on loan during the summer transfer window, Brereton-Diaz has struggled to make the desired impact at the Rams.
Across all competitions, the 26-year-old has made 18 appearances for Derby County so far but has only scored once. This came in September during a 1-1 draw against Wrexham, with him scoring more goals on the international stage than the Championship one.
With his native Chile, Brereton-Diaz has made five appearances and scored twice in games against Russia and Peru.
Would Derby stand in his way?
Scoring goals hasn’t been a problem for Derby County so far this season, averaging over a goal per game, with Brereton-Diaz only scoring one of those.
Even if you take away the point Derby gained from his goal, they’d still be as high as 14th and five points off the play-off places.
Similarly, though the loan agreement details haven’t been made public, Brereton-Diaz is likely to be a high-earner due to his prior La Liga & Premier League contracts. This suggests that Derby would benefit financially from having him off the wage book.
Those saved funds could also be reinvested elsewhere, as they look to push further towards the top six of the division. These factors suggest that Derby are less likely to stand in the way of Brereton-Diaz as well.
