Another Leeds United exit on the brink after Charlie Cresswell transfer in defensive exodus
Diego Llorente’s permanent exit from Leeds United is now set to fellow the confirmed departure of Charlie Cresswell, according to BBC Sport.
A report on the national broadcaster’s website on 8 July indicated that the Spanish defender’s switch to Real Betis is now “on the brink” after a fee of £2.53million was agreed.
Despite having last played for the Whites over 18 months ago he is still said to be one of the club’s highest earners, but will now be joining former Elland Road midfielder Marc Roca in La Liga.
The update comes after Leeds United announced the exit of Llorente’s fellow centre-back Cresswell to Toulouse, with the undisclosed fee reported by the Yorkshire Evening Post to be worth £3.8m.
Daniel Farke to see Diego Llorente follow Charlie Cresswell out
There is likely to be a lot less disappointment among the fanbase once Llorente’s move away is sealed with the 30-year-old having ceased to be a factor in the squad for some time.
His small exit fee is clearly nothing like what the club were hoping for when they signed him to a new contract extension back in December 2022, but in the current circumstances is better than nothing while getting his wages off the books after two loan moves to Roma.
Cresswell was expected to step up into the first-team rotation last term after a season on loan at Millwall but was largely overlooked throughout by Daniel Farke amid a difficult relationship between the two.
His Toulouse move had previously collapsed over personal terms [Adam Pope, 1 July] but no Whites reprieve was on the cards and was subsequently resurrected.
With veteran club captain Liam Cooper also leaving after the failure to agree a new contract at Elland Road [TEAMtalk, 3 July] it appears there is something of a centre-back exodus at the club this summer, with the returning Max Wober also potentially departing [Florian Plettenberg, 6 July].
The deal to bring in Joe Rodon permanently from Tottenham is therefore looking all the more crucial, until the Elland Road recruitment department can secure further additions, even if the major sale of Archie Gray managed to make signing the Welshman a bittersweet development.
Rodon remains the only reinforcement so far and the more names to depart make the need to add further new arrivals all the greater.
In other Leeds United news, a player who only just agreed to play for Daniel Farke next season wants to leave.
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