He could move twice in 2024.
Leeds United have reached an agreement to sell a “really good” player permanently in the summer, and a new update on his future has been revealed.
Leeds United’s January Transfer Window
The Whites and manager Daniel Farke waited until the end of the winter window to make their sole signing of the month, right-back Connor Roberts, who joined on loan from Burnley. The Wales international appears to have already set his sights on making his move permanent, saying after signing on deadline day:
“Football is a funny game, so I’ll be doing my best to make a good impression on and off the pitch, and maybe in the future it will alter from a direct loan, but for the time being, I’ll simply come here and try to help on and off the pitch.
“The goal is to be promoted, and it doesn’t matter if that means playing half the games, all of the games, or just a handful. I just want to be smiling alongside the rest of the lads at the end of the season.”
Djed Spence’s season-long loan was cut short, and Luke Ayling went on loan to Middlesbrough. Roberts will now compete with Archie Gray and Sam Byram for a starting berth in the Championship under Farke as Leeds attempt to reclaim their Premier League status.
Last month, Ian Poveda left for Sheffield Wednesday, Darko Gyabi joined Plymouth Argyle, and Sean McGurk signed with Swindon Town.
Leeds was also able to clinch new contracts for Gray and Mateo Joseph in early 2024, and the club’s focus will now shift to summer planning, with a new agreement for Wilfried Gnonto also in the works.
Leeds also has a number of players out on season-long loans following their relegation last season, including Luis Sinisterra, who appears to be on his way to Bournemouth permanently before the conclusion of the season. Another is defender Diego Llorente, who is now playing for AS Roma in Italy, and it appears that he may soon leave Elland Road on a permanent basis.
Diego Llorente Transfer Update
According to recent sources, Roma and Leeds have reached a deal to recruit Llorente on a permanent basis for €5 million (£4.2 million).
Despite plans for a full-time transfer to Rome, Llorente’s long-term future may not be there. According to the report, Roma intends to sell the defender once he joins them in the summer, hoping to make a profit as the Serie A club needs to generate €50 million from sales.
Llorente, described as a “really good player” by former teammate Poveda, has made 27 appearances this season, missing only a few games due to injury. The Spaniard is clearly enjoying his stay in Italy, adding, “Rome is beautiful, an incredible city, and I think it is almost impossible to find a better place to play football.”
However, his days at Leeds and Roma may be numbered, so it will be intriguing to see where he ends up at the start of the 2024/25 season.
