On Thursday, we covered claims from Italy that Leeds United’s Diego Llorente is waiting for AS Roma to make a final decision on whether to purchase him.
Later that day, journalist Samuel Silva stated the Serie A side are looking to sign him on a loan deal. He also said Real Betis are willing to make an offer to convince both Leeds and the 30-year-old.
Silva’s claim is backed up by Estadio Deportivo, who then provide more updates on Real Betis’ plan for the Leeds defender.
Real Betis are now ‘willing to bet’ on the former Real Sociedad man. They will pay €4.5m to sign Marc Roca and the report says Manuel Pellegrini’s side will present a similar offer for the defender.
Llorente was on loan at Roma since January 2023, and they are aiming for another temporary deal. His deal lasts until 2026, and sending him out on loan again means he would have to return to Elland Road next summer, when he’ll have a year left on his deal.
Therefore, Real Betis’ offer would be ‘more attractive’ for Leeds, who have to get rid of the Spaniard after failing to secure a promotion to the Premier League.
The Andalusian club are also willing to offer a long-term contract to Llorente, to convince him to return to La Liga.
Roma could still bring him back to the club, but as of now, Real Betis ‘take the lead’ to sign the Leeds man.
