After being linked to a Premier League for a few months, Spanish midfielder Marcos Llorente has left Real Madrid to join city rivals Atletico Madrid.
The 24-year-old expects to have much more playing time under Diego Simeone than he had when working for Zinedine Zidane, but if Jurgen Klopp had shown an interest, he could have been at Liverpool instead.
Julio Llorente, the midfielder’s uncle and agent, took the decision of speaking to the Spanish media to explain the transfer.
He revealed Zidane told the player he wouldn’t have many minutes, and that’s the main reason Llorente thought it was time to leave the Galacticos.
“I contacted several clubs to let them know what had happened, the conversation that Zidane and Marcos had,” Julio Llorente told Cadena SER. “One of them was Liverpool, but Marcos’ position was covered and it wasn’t a priority. But Atlético are those who perhaps took the strongest step and convinced us. I think we’re right. I hope it’s like that, I hope Marcos does very well.”
Besides Liverpool, Llorente was also linked to the likes of Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, but given his uncle’s quotes, it sounds like no Premier League sides have really tried to sign him.
