Leeds United transfer update as want-away Diego Llorente exit options emerge for Roma loanee
Diego Llorente appears to be in line to remain at Roma next season rather than return to Leeds United, according to Corriere dello Sport.
The Spanish defender has belatedly cracked Jose Mourinho’s line up in the Italian capital and if he maintains his current form – two clean sheets in two wins from back-to-back league starts – the Portuguese will now look to keep him.
The former Chelsea boss reportedly likes Llorente’s international experience and his reliability on the ball in comparison to the more mistake-prone but explosive Roger Ibanez.
However, the £18million permanent option in his loan deal is seen as too expensive so two options have emerged according to Corriere dello Sport – a negotiation with Leeds to bring his sale price down, or a second consecutive season on loan.
The Elland Road misfit has expressed his wish to remain in Rome [Forza Roma, 11 April] and CdS add that he is happy in the city having “quickly forgot the grey sky of England”.
Deal to be done
Much as Leeds United would love to get back all of what they paid Real Sociedad for the defender they would surely be open to negotiating on the price to secure a sale.
It may be a small sample size to draw from so far but having finally got into Mourinho’s starting XI there are signs that Italian football suits Llorente more than the Premier League.
He has never looked 100% comfortable for any sustained period in the English top flight, and having been reunited with the man who gave him his breakthrough at Real Madrid it is bound to best for all parties that an agreement is reached.
Max Wober and, presumably, Robin Koch are the sure starters back at Elland Road, with Pascal Struijk fairly established as a back-up option.
Based on how things went against Crystal Palace on Sunday (9 April) the club still badly needs cover for the Austrian, but Llorente’s performances over the past two seasons haven’t given any indication that he is the man for that.
If he is happy in Rome and Mourinho is pleased with his performances then the Whites should be more than happy to let him go, so a price somewhere in the middle can satisfy all parties.
In other Leeds United news, an “astounded” pundit believes the Whites “were robbed” with how things went at half-time of the Palace collapse.