Diego Llorente said his Leeds United goodbyes in January. The centre-back posted a message of gratitude on social media to Leeds and its supporters once his loan move to Roma was confirmed on transfer deadline day.
It was only a deal until the end of the season, but the option for Roma to push through a permanent switch seemed to make it look unlikely that he would be returning to West Yorkshire in the summer. It was probably the move he needed, too, having watched most of Leeds' first half of the season from the bench.
Llorente looked jaded and short of confidence in the white of Leeds, but it seems things went differently for him in the Italian capital under Jose Mourinho, a man he worked under at Real Madrid. The 29-year-old had to wait to earn his chance in the side, but he went on to make 12 appearances for Roma and featured in the Europa League final against Sevilla in Budapest.
Unfortunately, Llorente never got his hands on the trophy with Roma losing the game on penalties, but it cannot be said that his move to Serie A was a failure. As such, it comes as no surprise to see reports that Mourinho is keen to see the centre-back extend his time at the Stadio Olimpico.
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According to Fabrizio Romano, though, Roma aren’t keen on the reported £15.48m (€18m) price agreed between the two clubs in January. That figure isn’t far off what Leeds paid for Llorente when they signed him in September 2020 from Real Sociedad and they will be keen to recoup as much of that money as possible when it comes to offloading the defender.
Premier League relegation might ensure Leeds are willing to alter the terms of the agreement ever so slightly in order to get the deal done and avoid having to add Llorente onto their large Championship wage bill. It seems unlikely that Llorente would be too keen on the idea of returning, either, despite having three more years to run on the deal he was given by Victor Orta - one of his last major contract decisions in the role - last December.
The Spaniard found the going tough at Elland Road at points and his performances this season led to plenty of criticism being directed his way from the stands. A drop down to the Championship would allow him to play a leading role for the club in their hunt for promotion, but having played in a European final and sampled the top end of Serie A, it seems unlikely that a season in the English second tier would appeal.
As such, while plenty is still to be decided in West Yorkshire with changes being made throughout the club from the boardroom to the pitch, a permanent switch seems to suit all parties involved, whether that’s to Roma or another interested side. Llorente has made 59 appearances for Leeds during his two-and-a-half seasons with the club, but it's likely that he will now be part of what may well be a large summer exodus.
