Leeds sanctioned so many loans during the summer window that it’s easy to forget Diego Llorente was one of them, having previously been transferred away during the January window.
He returned to AS Roma in the summer, expecting for another successful season under legendary boss Jose Mourinho, this time alongside Rasmus Kristensen.
Llorente, who has been a fixture in the Roma squad this season, is expected to stay in the Italian city beyond the 23/24 season.
According to Metropolitan Magazine, the Spaniard’s contract includes a €5 million (£4.3 million) obligation-to-buy clause that will become operative if he plays 50% of the games this season.
Llorente is quite likely to achieve so, given that he has played in 16 games and missed only three due to minor injuries.
The 30-year-old joined Leeds in the summer of 2020 after promotion, with the Whites paying Real Sociedad £18 million to bring the Spain international to Elland Road.
This implies that Leeds are losing about £13.7 million on the defender, despite him signing a new contract midway through the 22/23 season before going on loan to Roma.
In terms of FFP, Leeds should be fine with the decrease in value given the asset’s amortisation four years after signing for the club.
Llorente needed to leave Leeds because he was a liability in the team, but it wasn’t his fault that our defence looked so dreadful in the Premier League.
It’s encouraging to see that he’ll be earning us money next summer, when Robin Koch on the same duration of original deal will bring us nothing.
Given that he is continuously playing under Mourinho, you would think he is guaranteed to reach the 50% threshold with Roma.
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