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Leeds United’s Diego Llorente spent the second half of last season on loan at Roma, who have decided against exercising their €18m buying option.

Corriere dello Sport state this figure is deemed ‘too much’ but the Serie A side haven’t given up on the idea of retaining the 29-year-old at the club.

It’s said the Leeds player hopes to continue in Italy and José Mourinho considers him ‘useful’. These two factors ‘weigh like boulders’.

The report states Roma transfer guru Tiago Pinto will be ‘at the negotiating table’ with the Whites. His idea is to take the centre-back on another loan deal with an option to buy at a lower price.

There’s no mention if the English club are ready to accept these terms to let go of the Spain international.

Llorente’s desire to continue in Rome will ‘still have weight’ during negotiations, also because he’s been left out of the project at Leeds, who were relegated from the Premier League.

Pinto and Roma now have to convince Leeds in order to have Llorente back at the club next season.

Corriere dello Sport don’t make it clear, but the feeling is Roma would want the option to be much less than the €18m agreed last year.