Leeds United's Diego Llorente during the warm up before the match
Leeds United defender Diego Llorente looks set to join AS Roma, which has left TEAMtalk reporter James Marshment shocked.
The Lowdown: Llorente on his way to Roma?
News emerged on Monday morning that the Spaniard looks set for a move to Italy in the final days of the January transfer window. An agreement is in place between Leeds and Roma which will see the centre-back join Jose Mourinho’s side on loan until the end of the season.
The Serie A club will then have the option to sign Llorente permanently in the summer, despite the fact that he only signed a new deal at Elland Road last month.
The Latest: Marshment shocked
Marshment took to Twitter shortly after the update came to light regarding Llorente.
He was ‘absolutely thrown sideways’ at the news which ‘comes as a shock’, believing that there has been a ‘dramatic shift’ since the 29-year-old penned new terms in Yorkshire just before Christmas.
The Leeds-supporting journalist concluded by stating his ‘fear’ that Llorente leaving ‘may leave us a little light on right central defence’.
The Verdict: Seems to makes sense
Llorente has fallen out of favour under Jesse Marsch, making just one start in the Premier League since October, so a temporary exit from Elland Road appears to be the right call for everyone involved.
The 29-year-old has been the club’s worst-performing centre-back this season as per WhoScored metrics, with Phil Hay believing that a new contract was primarily given in order to maintain his value.
That looks set to have worked, and if Leeds are able to recoup the £18m that they paid for the Spaniard in 2020 – with Hay suggesting that the move will come with an obligation to become permanent rather than an option – it could be a smart piece of business, especially with Marsch having four other senior centre-backs at his disposal
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