It’s been a year to forget so far for Leeds United, who suffered the heartbreak of Premier League relegation at the end of last season, before getting off to a difficult start in the Championship with five games gone.
Daniel Farke is the man tasked with getting them back to the top flight at the first time of asking, having previously enjoyed success in a similar position with Norwich City.
Amid several changes at the club, with plenty of outgoings and incomings in the summer, Farke has so far struggled to turn the Whites into a side capable of achieving automatic promotion. The changes are still coming, too, with one player reportedly likely to leave on a permanent basis, having originally been signed by Marcelo Bielsa back in 2020 in the Premier League.
What’s the latest Leeds United transfer news?
When it comes to departures, Leeds endured quite the shake-up throughout the summer transfer window, with the likes of Tyler Adams and Rodrigo all leaving the club.
The Yorkshire club also lost players on loan, with Brenden Aaronson, Luis Sinisterra and Diego Llorente among those. And, now, according to Phil Hay of The Athletic, the exit of Llorente on a permanent basis, is a “high likelihood”, despite the fact that the defender signed a new contract at the club back in December to reportedly make him one of the club’s highest earners.
Speaking about Llorente’s future, Hay told The Square Ball:
“Ok he’s gone to Roma and had a couple of loans out there, but Roma specifically didn’t activate the option that they had on him which I think was supposed to be the fee that Leeds had signed him for. Taking him on loan again I think there’s probably a high likelihood that he will go there permanently at some stage.”
Should Leeds sell Diego Llorente?
In an ideal world, Farke would have a player of Llorente’s experience at his disposal in the Championship this season. The defender is capable of playing at the top level, as shown by his move to AS Roma.
Statistically, speaking, too, Llorente could be a solid option at Elland Road. As per FBref, when compared to Pascal Strujik last season, in particular, the Spaniard stands out.
Player | Pass Completion Rate | Interceptions Per 90 | Clearances Per 90 |
Diego Llorente | 85% | 1.91 | 3.24 |
Pascal Strujik | 75.2% | 1.31 | 2.87 |
With that said, it could be argued that if Leeds had Llorente at their disposal so far this season, then they may have enjoyed more than just one victory in the five games they’ve played in the Championship at this stage, whereas on the other hand, you could say he was loaned out for a reason.
Nonetheless, Farke and co will have to cope without the Spaniard, who they could at least cash in on when the transfer window swings open in January, or perhaps even the summer window just months later. Llorente, meanwhile, will be focused on earning a permanent place at Roma this season under Jose Mourinho, so it could be one to keep an eye on as the season progresses.
