Leeds United player facing fresh uncertainty as club mull over transfer decision
Diego Llorente’s proposed summer switch from Leeds United to Roma might just be in doubt, according to reports. Llorente is coming to the end of his second loan spell with Roma, having joined initially in January 2023 before seeing the loan extended for a full campaign last summer.
The defender has played an important role for the Serie A club since making the switch and this season he has made 41 appearances in all competitions. A total of 11 of those outings have come in the Europa League, with Roma progressing to the semi-finals, while his influence in the league could help the club to claim a Champions League spot.
As such, the expectation was that Roma would make his loan permanent in the summer and bring his time as a Leeds player to an end. According to reports, Roma have the option to buy Llorente for a fee of €5m this summer, while they are said to have a similar deal with RB Leipzig for Angelino, who is also on loan at the Stadio Olimpico.
According to Gazetta dello Sport, via Sport Witness, though, the club favour the signing of Angelino over Llorente. Of course, qualification for the Champions League may just allow the club to add both players to their ranks, but the report claims it might be easier to secure Angelino.
What that would mean for Llorente is hard to say, but if the story is to be believed, the 30-year-old could be approaching an uncertain summer. The report is less ambiguous about Rasmus Kristensen’s future, though, with the Dane set to return to Elland Road after struggling to find form on a consistent basis under Daniele De Rossi and Jose Mourinho before him.
Kristensen has started 18 of of his 27 Serie A appearances and he has been included from the beginning in the club’s last two games. However, his form has been up and down and Roma don’t appear to be keen on making his loan move permanent.
As such, Kristensen is also set to enter what could be an uncertain off-season. As it stands, he is due to return to Thorp Arch for pre-season, but Daniel Farke has made it clear that those currently out on loan are unlikely to feature in his plans going forwards.
Llorente was linked with a move to Champions League semi-finalists Paris Saint-Germain in the January transfer window, but it is unclear if they would return for the Spain international this summer. Kristensen, on the other hand, may see Euro 2024 as an opportunity to put himself in the shop window, should he be included in Denmark’s squad.
Marc Roca, Brenden Aaronson, Jack Harrison, Max Wober and Sam Greenwood are among the players who appear to be in a similar boat, having left Leeds on loan last summer.
