According to the Daily Mirror, Diego Llorente will not be leaving Leeds United just yet after the club rejected Real Betis’ £5.1 million deal for him.
David Anderson stated on July 3 that the Whites believe the 30-year-old is worth more than Betis’ bid and are holding out for more, with plans to sell him this summer.
After spending the previous season and a half on loan at Roma, the Serie A club decided against acquiring him permanently, paving the way for Betis, who had previously signed Marc Roca for £3.8 million [Estadio Deportivo, 1 July].
Leeds United take control of Diego Llorente’s transfer.
Control over the movements of departing players has been rare at Elland Road in the recent year, with Llorente among numerous players who used loan provisions in their contracts following the Whites’ relegation from the Premier League.
As a result, Llorente, Roca, and numerous other players were free to depart the club for little or no money, leaving United in the lurch with voids across the roster.
This summer, however, with the sale of Archie Gray preventing the club from breaking the EFL’s profit and sustainability regulations, the Peacocks now have the upper hand and can negotiate deals on their own terms.
While the Whites will now only be compelled to sell players if they submit transfer requests, Daniel Farke will have little interest in keeping several players, especially Llorente, this summer.
Roca’s permanent move to Betis went down without a hitch, allowing Leeds to avoid a PSR loss on the midfielder, and as they attempt to do the same with Llorente, they’ll hope the La Liga club is ready to stretch their budget even further [Samuel Silva, 27 June].
