Diego Llorente is set to leave Leeds United permanently after triggering an obligation to be bought by Roma as reported by Il Messaggero. The Spaniard will cost the Serie A side €5 million after playing 50% of the games during his second season in Italy.
It is possible that the 30-year-old will be loaned out to a third club as Roma’s new manager, Daniele De Rossi, looks to make changes to the squad he inherited from Jose Mourinho earlier in the season. Llorente returned to Roma last summer after a loan spell in the previous campaign, making a total of 41 appearances this season.
Llorente was expected to leave on a permanent basis after his first loan spell at Roma but stayed at Leeds United. Now, it seems his departure will benefit the club financially as they look to cut costs following a disappointing end to the season. CEO Angus Kinnear had previously mentioned Llorente’s high salary of £6 million per year.
Shifting Llorente’s salary and receiving a transfer fee for a player who seemed to have no future at Leeds United is a positive outcome for the club. However, decisions still need to be made on other players who left the club following relegation.
The future looks uncertain for Leeds United as they face the possibility of missing out on promotion back to the Premier League. Manager Daniel Farke will need to navigate the club through this challenging period and improve their playoff record to secure a return to the top flight.
