Leeds United defender Diego Llorente looks set to complete a transfer to Serie A side AS Roma this summer, with talks between the respective clubs approaching their “final stages”.
Llorente spent the second half of last season on loan for Jose Mourinho’s side, and generally impressed in his 12 appearances for the Italian outfit before a thigh injury brought his season to a premature end.
His time spent in West Yorkshire was less impressive overall however, as solid displays towards the beginning of his Elland Road spell turned to performances riddled with costly defensive errors.
Now, the quality of his appearances at the Stadio Olimpico appear to have earned him a move to the Italian capital, as Roma are keen on seeing Llorente return next season.
That is according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who provided an update on the 29-year-old’s situation this morning via Twitter [21 June].
“AS Roma are closing in on deal to sign Diego Llorente from Leeds as talks are moving to final stages, personal terms agreed,” Romano wrote.
It is unsure whether Leeds would be able to recoup the £18m fee that they paid to bring Llorente to West Yorkshire in the summer of 2020. The Spanish international is currently under contract for the Whites until the summer of 2026, after penning a three-and-a-half year extension on his current deal with the club last winter.
Yet with the Spaniard unlikely to feature in the future plans of whoever Leeds’ next manager may be, Llorente may be the first of several players to depart Elland Road this summer in a bid to balance the books following the club’s relegation to the Championship last season.
