Leeds set to be ‘denied’ £15m boost for promotion push as Llorente exit on cards

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Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani is poised to pay the price for the club’s relegation to the Championship in more ways than one. Diego Llorente is among those expected to be sold on this summer, but AS Roma reportedly hope to use the Whites’ weak negotiating position to strike a bargain deal for the Spanish defender.

Llorente arrived at Elland Road in an £18million deal back in 2020, but persistent injury issues made it tricky for the centre-back to build up any kind of momentum. They sent him on loan to Roma back in January, but game time remained hard to come by in Serie A.

Despite making only eight league appearances under Jose Mourinho, Corriere dello Sport claim that the Giallorossi are keen to make the move permanent. Unfortunately for Leeds, however, they have no intention of doing so by activating their £15m buy option.

Instead, the Italian giants will reportedly look to exploit Leeds’ need to sell by negotiating a bargain deal for the 29-year-old.

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Every penny will count for Leeds as they look to bounce back to the Premier League at the first time of asking. But Roma are supposedly only willing to buy ‘under certain conditions’, and finding another buyer for a player who hardly set the Premier League alight may prove tricky.

It remains to be seen just how low the Whites would be willing to go in offloading Llorente, who has 10 Spain caps on his CV along with four years on the books of Real Madrid.

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Llorente is just one of many players in line to make a hasty retreat from Elland Road this summer with the American trio of Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson also set to depart. The latter is the subject of a relegation release clause which sources close to the player reportedly expect to be triggered.

And the inevitable squad rebuild that comes with dropping down to the second tier will have to be done without Sam Allardyce, who has left the club after just four games following crunch post-season talks with Leeds chiefs.

The former England boss reportedly earned £500,000 for his brief stint back in the Premier League, during which he oversaw three defeats, one draw and zero wins. Leeds were hammered at home to Tottenham on the final day to leave them a dismal 19th.

Steven Gerrard is among the favourites to take Allardyce’s place, having been out of work since Aston Villa dished out his marching orders last year, while Brendan Rodgers and Carlos Corberan are also in the frame.

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