Leeds United saw over 10 players leave Elland Road in the summer as Daniel Farke reshaped the squad.
Over the last two seasons, the club has cleared out many players. Leeds was active in the summer of 2022 when Jesse Marsch was in charge of the club. After the American saved Leeds from relegation, the club backed him in the summer. After the club went to the Championship, multiple players decided to leave to avoid playing in a division below the Premier League.
Tyler Adams, Leo Hjelde, and Rodrigo Moreno left the club last year. This summer, Cody Drameh, Jamie Shackleton, Charlie Cresswell and Ian Poveda were among the names to depart. Many of them left on free transfers, with some still out on loan like Rasmus Kristensen.
QUIZ: Can you name the season these 10 Leeds United shirts are from?
Former Leeds United player takes shot at club
Credit: Imago Images
Diego Llorente was one of the players that left Leeds United on a permanent deal during the summer. The defender spent last season on loan at AS Roma. Llorente was barely fit during his time at Elland Road and only made 15 league appearances during his first season. The Spaniard went on to make just over 50 appearances during his four years at the club.
Despite signing a new deal with the club in 2022, Llorente joined AS Roma on loan in January 2023. The 31-year old finally left Elland Road this summer for a reported fee around €3.25million fee. Leeds had to make a loss on the €20million they signed him for in 2020.
The defender has now claimed the reason he left Leeds United is because of the atmosphere at the club:
“It was a very important decision, and I wanted to know where I was going. This time it was a bit the other way around, people from Betis who contacted me. Then I did speak with Marc Roca and Pablo Fornals.” Llorente said to Diario De Sevilla.
“They told me what I knew they were going to tell me, that it was a great dressing room and that there was great ambition to achieve important things. It was a bit the opposite than with Leeds,”
The defender has now been linked with a move to the Premier League in January.
Llorente’s time at the club was underwhelming
Like many of the Leeds United signings from 2022, the Spaniard was not really a good fit at the club. It did not help that he was barely available due to injury problems. The worst part is that the club made a huge loss on him.
