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Beren Cross

Leeds United continue new contract hopes with senior defender's signature

Contract season has continued at Leeds United with Diego Llorente’s signature on new terms at Elland Road after the earlier news this week of Pascal Struijk's agreement. The 29-year-old’s original Whites contract expired in the summer of 2024, but this new deal keeps him with Leeds for two extra years until June 2026.

Llorente will be approaching his 33rd birthday when his new deal expires, which means West Yorkshire may remain his home right through to his first thoughts of retirement from the game. The centre-back is the second in a large crop of players with deals expiring in 2024 the club must look to decide on.

Liam Cooper, Mateusz Klich, Rodrigo, Stuart Dallas, Robin Koch, Jack Harrison and Cody Drameh all have contracts understood to be expiring in a fraction over 18 months. In the past, United have looked to announce contract extensions in a batch across several weeks.

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It remains to be seen who signs terms next, but LeedsLive understands talks are advanced with several players in that 2024 group. Llorente, though, is the second to commit his future to the club, a little over two years after first arriving from Real Sociedad.

Llorente’s made 55 appearances for the club thus far, recently surpassing the likes of Vinnie Jones, El-Hadji Diouf and Bruno Ribeiro for Leeds outings. While the Spaniard has not been without his injury issues, he has been a regular fixture in the starting line-up when fit.

In 20/21, Llorente started 13 of the final 14 games of the season, then last season he started 31 out of 42 games in all competitions before starting all seven of the opening games this term. An error-strewn display at Brentford has forced him to the sidelines since then, but Leeds have retained their faith in Llorente today.

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