Leeds United cannot accept another loan for outcast admired by Jose Mourinho
Leeds United defender Diego Llorente is going to be a target for AS Roma this summer, but the Italian side are pushing for another loan-to-buy deal
Leeds have a number of fringe players that need moving on this summer, given that they are not part of the plans coming into the Championship season.
Diego Llorente falls into that category, having been shipped out to AS Roma in January, shortly after penning a new contract until 2026 with the club.
He returns to Leeds this summer, but Corriere dello Sport are reporting this week that the centre-back is a target of Jose Mourinho’s this summer, having enjoyed working with him last season and previously at Real Madrid.
However, sporting director Tiago Pinto is eager to secure another loan agreement for Llorente, bumping down the price tag from €18million in the process.
Here, we look at two reasons why Leeds simply cannot allow for another loan, as they need to cut ties indefinitely…
We could do with the money now
Shifting Llorente from the wage bill would be a huge boost even if he’s loaned out, but getting a fee of eight figures for him is a major boost to the funds we have.
He’s one of the saleable assets that we can afford to let go ahead of the Championship season, but delaying that by a year is just hampering how much we’d have to reinvest.
Llorente has a chance to secure a good move away here, with a club that are keen on signing him, and we should be pursuing a permanent agreement to ensure we are getting the money now, right when we need it.
If we delay that by a year and end up getting promoted, it’s not as if it’s going to be as crucial as sale as this summer.
Delaying the inevitable
As much as Leeds won’t want him on the books, it’s the same issue for Llorente that he won’t want to be on our books for much longer.
We’re not going to be playing him ever, so it’s detrimental to him to still technically be a Leeds player at this moment in time.
In terms of his career, Llorente is nearing his 30th birthday and needs to be settled in his peak years, rather than bouncing around.
Roma want him, and we need to ensure that he signs a long-term deal there to recapture his best form, especially ahead of 2024’s European Championships.
