Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly decided to let Fernando Llorente leave this summer.
Tottenham have no plans to offer Fernando Llorente a new contract with the club, leaving the path clear for the Spaniard to leave when his current deal expires in the summer, according to a report from The Sun.
Llorente has been something of a divisive figure since arriving from Swansea. His record for Spurs is underwhelming, but he has been given a tough task playing the understudy role to Harry Kane, and he has provided some important goals along the way.
And the 34-year-old – who earns £75,000-a-week, according to Spotrac – has also produced some vital performances. His introduction at half-time in Wednesday’s Champions League tie helped change the game as Lucas Moura bagged the hat-trick that took Mauricio Pochettino’s men to the final when Ajax had looked to have more than one foot in Madrid.
But despite that performance, it appears that the clash with Liverpool could be the Spaniard’s farewell display if he does feature. The Sun reports that he is out of contract at the end of the season, and Spurs remain set on letting him go with potential targets already being discussed.
The report adds Napoli are keen, days after Llorente’s agent and brother suggested that the former Juventus man would be interested in returning to Italy and moving to Stadio San Paolo (via Calciomercato).
Llorente’s goalscoring return may not have improved significantly after his second year with Spurs. But it seems fair to predict that he will leave a much more popular figure than if he had departed after that first campaign.
And while Spurs’ mind may be made up already, Llorente will know that there is an opportunity to write his name in Tottenham folklore before he leaves if he gets the chance to make an impact in the Champions League final.
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