The Whites are eager to add another defensive option to their ranks at Elland Road, with Marcelo Bielsa turning his attention towards Spain
Leeds are closing in on a deal for Real Sociedad defender Diego Llorente, Goal can confirm, with the Liga club confirming an agreement is in place and the Premier League new boys set to part with around €25 million (£23m/$29m) in a big-money transfer.
Marcelo Bielsa is eager to bolster his Whites side at the back, with the goals flowing at both ends of the field through the early weeks of 2020-21.
Leeds have been involved in back-to-back 4-3 thrillers after returning to the English top flight, with a narrow defeat suffered at defending champions Liverpool before then edging out Fulham at Elland Road.
Bielsa’s side were famed for their defensive resilience when securing promotion out of the Championship, but those qualities have briefly deserted them. The plan is, after missing out on the likes of Ben White, to bring in Llorente and start plugging those leaks.
A switch will be formalised in the coming days, with Sociedad releasing a statement on their website on Tuesday night.
The statement read: “Real Sociedad and Leeds United have reached an agreement in principle for the transfer of Diego Llorente to the English team. The final agreement is subject to the medical examination of the player.
“Real Socieded would like to thank Diego for the professionalism and commitment shown during the three years that he has played here, at the same time that it wishes him the best for his personal and professional future.”
Llorente does have a €50m (£46m/$59m) release clause in his contract and is tied to Sociedad through to 2022, but Leeds have agreed terms below that mark.
They will now be offering a Premier League stage to a man who has seen a move to England mooted for some time.
The Spain international previously failed to make his mark at La Liga giants Real Madrid, but has thrived since linking up with Sociedad in 2017.
A model of consistency for the Basque club, he has made 88 appearances to date, scoring eight goals.
His efforts have sparked talk of interest from the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham in the past, while Monaco are understood to have seen a bid rejected this summer.
The Ligue 1 outfit are said to have put €15m (£14m/$18m) on the table, with Sociedad quickly making it clear that no agreement would be reached at that figure.
Leeds have had more luck when it comes to negotiating a fee and are now in a position to welcome another fresh face into their squad.
Madrid will be due part of any transfer package, having included a sell-on clause in their discussions with Sociedad, while the Basque club could turn their attention to Atletico Madrid star Mario Hermoso or Getafe’s Leandro Cabrera as possible replacements.
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