George Overhill

Mon 26 June 2023 21:10, UK

Leeds United are in “advanced” negotiations with Roma over the loan exit of Rasmus Kristensen, with a permanent option set to be included in the deal, according to Roma Today.

The Dane has become a surprise late addition to the expected Elland Road exodus and is set to join Diego Llorente in making a temporary move to the Stadio Olimpico, with the Spaniard returning for a second time.

The deal could be sealed as early as Wednesday (28 June) after Kristensen agreed personal terms on Sunday (25 June), with the permanent clause now the central discussion point.

But according to the latest update it appears that a €10million fee [£8.57million] will be included, and while it is yet to be decided whether it will be an option or an obligation Roma Today expect the Serie A side to make it an option, with “white smoke” now “close” on this deal.

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That number isn’t too bad from a Leeds United point of view considering Kristensen only cost £10million from Red Bull Salzburg a year ago [Sky Sports].

But if it is only an option there is obviously no guarantee that the Whites actually see that money, especially after the £18million option that was widely reported on Llorente’s original loan move proved too expensive and his return to Rome will now not be for close to that money.

The revelation that various members of the squad at Elland Road appear to have release clauses that provide for loans or very cheap exits [Daily Mail, 26 June] could be set to cost the club a big number in lost revenue.

But discussions between Leeds and Roma appear to have been pretty cordial on the whole, with the renewed negotiations to facilitate a second move for Llorente going ahead despite Mourinho signing Evan N’Dicka for his defence.

So if the two clubs can reach a compromise where the Italians can ultimately sign Kristensen for a reduced price that doesn’t amount to giving him away it would be more in line with what most fans expected after relegation.

If he proves to be more successful at Roma than he did overall at Elland Road then there is every chance they would be interested in keeping him at the end of the season, just as Llorente has convinced Mourinho enough for Tiago Pinto to return to the negotiating table despite looking nowhere near that level in the Premier League.

In other Leeds United news, the Whites have “ambitious” incoming transfer plans despite an impending exodus in light of the exit clauses.