According to a recent report by Basque news outlet Noticias de Gipuzkoa, Liverpool are eager to secure the services of Real Sociedad centre-back Diego Llorente. The same source has revealed that the Reds are prepared to launch a £25m bid to bring the Spanish talent to Anfield. Liverpool Echo has also mentioned that the Spaniard has a release clause of €50m (£42.8m) in his current contract, but the La Liga club’s owners could be willing to listen to offers below that figure.
The 25-year-old has been a sporadic feature for Sociedad so far but has still managed to put in a few impressive displays at the back during this campaign. He has featured in just 18 matches for the La Liga outfit but could be in line for more starts over the coming months.
Llorente is a former Real Madrid academy product who came through the youth ranks of his hometown club before representing clubs such as Rayo Vallecano and Malaga. He is currently playing for Sociedad after being sold by Real Madrid in the summer of 2017.
The Madrid born talent is a highly versatile player who primarily operates as a centre-half but can also feature as a midfielder if required. He is quite productive with his tackles and can make timely interceptions when playing with confidence on the pitch. He has made 1.1 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per match in the La Liga this season (stats via whoscored.com).
The acquisition of a versatile player like Llorente could help Jurgen Klopp cope with injuries better at Anfield in the coming years. The Reds have suffered a lot recently due to injuries to some of their key players in defence.
Their recent failure to pick up wins could end up costing them the Premier League title. There is no doubt that Klopp needs to strengthen his squad so that his side can stand in one footing with Manchester City at the top of English football.
Llorente is precisely the type of squad player who can come in and do a job for the team when some of the first-team players are out of action. However, the Spaniard is currently not playing at a level that would merit a regular first-team place at Liverpool, so he needs to work on his game if he wants to be a success story in England.
