Leeds’ Diego Llorente may see Roma move scrapped due of one big reason

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Leeds United’s Diego Llorente is starting to make his mark at Roma but the Serie A giants will not pay the £18 million fee required to sign the Premier League loanee on a permanent transfer during the summer transfer window.

After a sluggish start to life at the Stadio Olimpico, Llorente is starting to win over one Jose Mourinho.

He has now started each of Roma’s last three Serie A games. The Spain international was a key figure in Thursday’s UEFA Europa League comeback victory over Feyenoord too, Roma setting up an enthralling semi-final clash with Bayer Leverkusen following a 4-1 crushing of Arne Slot’s Eredivisie leaders. 

Will Diego Llorente leave Leeds United permanently?

“Of course, (Llorente is) important,” Mourinho says of his improving January signing.  

“Llorente needs to grow (but he) already has a lot of experience. He needed time to learn how to play with us. When he arrived, it was strange for him. Now, he already plays with stability and is perfectly integrated.”

A couple of weeks ago, it seemed unlikely in the extreme that Roma would be rushing to turn his loan deal into a permanent transfer. Things may be changing, now; Llorente silencing his doubters with a series of impressive displays. 

Though, as Roma Live point out, the £18 million fee required by Leeds is still considered ‘excessive’ by the Giallorossi management. The former Real Sociedad ace is, after all, due to turn 30 in August. A long-term acquisition he most certainly is not. 

“I’m satisfied,” Mourinho told DAZN after a particularly impressive Llorente showing during a 3-0 thrashing of Sampdoria in Serie A.

“Diego Llorente also played very well with (Chris) Smalling in a four-man defence. He worked really well during the (international) break. And, as a manager, that’s what really struck me about today; Llorente’s performance.

“I could have used (Zeki) Celik as a central defender. But he’d never done it before, so we opted for a four-man defence. I was really happy with Llorente because he allowed us to keep more possession.”