Diego Llorente has “convinced” loan club Roma to approach Leeds United over a permanent transfer, according to Siamo la Roma.
The report on 9 May reveals that there is no permanent purchase clause inserted into Llorente’s loan terms, and the Giallorossi are hoping to negotiate a cut-price deal for the defender following the conclusion of his temporary move this summer.
The defender has been on loan at the Serie A club since January 2023 and does not appear to have a future back at Elland Road.
Should Leeds United let Diego Llorente go for a cut-price fee?
Llorente, 30, still has two years left to run on his contract back at Elland Road, so Leeds are not under undue pressure to sell the Spaniard for a fee below what they deem acceptable this summer.
The central defender has been a regular component of the Roma defence this season, making 40 appearances across all competitions, with 28 coming in Serie A, 11 in the Europa League and one in the Coppa Italia.
However, it seems unlikely that Llorente could be integrated back into the squad under Daniel Farke and the longer Leeds go without selling him, the more his value will drop.
If the centre-back’s spell in Italy has no generated interest in his services beyond his temporary employers, Leeds may come to the conclusion that they will not receive a better offer and decide to get the player’s wages off the books while they have the chance – particularly if they fail to win Premier League promotion via the playoffs.
It seems as though Llorente’s spell as a Leeds player is drawing closer to its end.
