Diego Llorente has become the latest player to leave Leeds United this summer, re-joining AS Roma on a season-long loan deal. Llorente, who was absent from day one of the Whites’ pre-season on Monday, spent the second half of last season with the Serie A outfit and caught the eye with his performances.
As such, Roma were keen to secure his services for another campaign and the Spanish defender will head back to the Italian capital for a second loan. Leeds had hoped to pick up a fee for Llorente this summer with the initial January loan including an option to buy the centre-back for around £18m, but the two clubs have instead settled for a loan.
Llorente will now travel to Italy to begin pre-season training under Jose Mourinho and he’ll be keen to pick up where he left off by playing a key role for the Europa League outfit. The 29-year-old has stiff competition for a place in the side, with Chris Smalling, Evan Ndicka and Gianluca Mancini all at the club, too.
The Spain international initially joined Leeds in September 2020, following the club’s promotion to the Premier League and after overcoming a series of niggling issues, he was thrust straight into the starting line-up under Marcelo Bielsa. However, he never fully managed to convince at Elland Road and his poor form over the first half of last season led to him being allowed to leave the club on loan.
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The defender, who has made 59 appearances for the club in all competitions, including 51 in the Premier League, still has three seasons to run on his current deal with Leeds, having penned a new long-term deal somewhat controversially back in December. However, he’ll now be hoping his form in Italy can help him regain his place in the Spain national team.
He joins Tyler Roberts and Alfie McCalmont in leaving the club this summer and he won’t be the last man out of the door, either. Robin Koch is thought to be close to joining Eintracht Frankfurt, according to The Athletic, while the same publication claims Brenden Aaronson is on the verge of joining Champions League outfit Union Berlin.
Joel Robles and Adam Forshaw were not handed new deals after their current contracts expired, but have both been invited to train with the squad in pre-season. Rasmus Kristensen has also been strongly linked with a switch to Roma, with another loan move being touted there.
