According to The Sun, Fernando Llorente could join Leeds United in January, with Tottenham ‘willing’ to agree a cut-price deal for the out-of-favour ‘powerhouse’. Llorente has been short of playing time under Mauricio Pochettino this season and is out of contract next summer.
Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa is looking to renew acquaintances with the player he worked under at Athletic Bilbao. Llorente made 327 appearances for the Spanish outfit, contributing 147 goals for his troubles. He played under Bielsa at the San Manes Stadium between 2011 and 2013, featuring in 89 games.
Tottenham paid around £14m for the 33-year-old from Swansea in August 2017, but the report states they will agree a £4m deal to avoid losing Llorente for nothing at the end of the campaign. He’s made 37 appearances in all competitions for Spurs, scoring and creating eight goals.
While never signed to replace Harry Kane, the Spanish international didn’t amount to be much of a back-up either. He was behind Kane and Heung-min Son in the pecking order which meant he suffered extended periods as an unused substitute.
This season, the forward racked up just 136 minutes of football in the Premier League, Champions League and EFL Cup, scoring one goal and making one assist. After Vincent Janssen failed to be a reliable back-up to Kane in 2016, Llorente has unfortunately repeated history a year later.
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