George Overhill

Mon 10 July 2023 6:40, UK

Roma have still not made a “firm offer” to Leeds United to sign Rasmus Kristensen on loan this summer, according to Graham Smyth in the Yorkshire Evening Post.

Diego Llorente’s own return to the Italian capital was confirmed by the club on Saturday (8 July) after extensive negotiations which reportedly concluded without a permanent option in the deal, according to Gianluca Di Marzio a day earlier.

The Sky Sports Italy journalist suggested that the two clubs would be working on a straight loan for the Dane in the coming week, but it appears an actual offer is currently missing.

Jose Mourinho had wanted the right-back brought in ready for his preseason training camp that begins Monday (10 July) and Il Messaggero reported on Sunday that the Special One is “running out of patience” on deals that haven’t been concluded yet, including Kristensen’s.

However, despite discussions having apparently been ongoing for some time it appears the Serie A side have yet to put a proper proposal on the table, meaning the Denmark international could even be included in the trip to Norway to face Manchester United this week (12 July).

Smyth writes in the Yorkshire Evening Post on Sunday (9 July): “Players expected back on Monday for pre-season testing, following extended leave due to international involvement, include Max Wober, Rasmus Kristensen, Kristoffer Klaesson and Daniel James.

“Views will be taken early this week on which of the latest arrivals will travel to Oslo. Kristensen has been subject of interest from Roma but Leeds are yet to receive a firm offer from the Serie A outfit.”

What’s the hold up?

A pair of loans for defenders who are far from star players shouldn’t be overly tricky to get across the line, but there appears to have been a lot of discussions around potential permanent clauses that hasn’t ended up leading anywhere.

The financial difficulties at Roma have likely made that more of an arduous prospect that might otherwise have been the case, and the delay in Daniel Farke being announced at Elland Road has backed up various transfer window business.

But if Di Marzio is correct that Llorente’s move is a simple loan and Kristensen’s is in line to be as well then it is that much more of a disappointing outcome from a Leeds United perspective, and suggests a lot of time could have been saved on the previous haggling when it looked like a positive outcome for all could be reached.

Italian media has largely reported that the Kristensen deal was at a similarly advanced stage as Llorente’s throughout the past few weeks, while Fabrizio Romano reported personal terms with the 25-year-old had been tied up back on 25 June, and yet one has now gone through and the other it seems is languishing some way behind.

The former Red Bull Salzburg man had been one of the first players following relegation who appeared set to remain in the second tier [Leeds Live, 5 June] before Mourinho saw an opportunity to add a second pick up after Llorente, and maybe that will now prove to be the case.

The likelihood is that after an agreement being in the offing this long the move does go through sooner or later, but what looked as good as a done deal is apparently very much not as yet.

In other Leeds United news, a Sunday update from Sky Sports has put the Whites’ planned “marquee signing” under threat.