LEEDS UNITED have confirmed the £22million signing of Diego Llorente from Real Sociedad.
The defender has penned a four-year contract with Marcelo Bielsa’s side.
Leeds have confirmed the signing of Diego Llorente
The defender has penned a four-year deal at Elland RoadCredit: Getty
Commenting on his move, Llorente said: “To be here is an honour and it’s a good challenge for me.
“The decision was very easy. I want to learn from Bielsa and I think we can have a great season.
“The coach was an important factor. I can improve under him so it is an honour to play for him. I am ready if he wants me to play right now.
“I spoke to Pablo Hernandez a few days ago and he spoke about the city and team. This conversation was also an important factor.
“It was difficult to leave Spain but I am taking the best decision for my football career.”
He will wear the No14 shirt at Elland Road this season.
The 27-year-old Spanish international came up through the youth ranks at Real Madrid but only made three appearances for the Spanish giants.
He then went on to have brief loan stints at Rayo Vallecano and Malaga before making a permanent move to Sociedad in 2017.
During his time at Sociedad he made 88 appearances in all competitions for Sociedad, scoring on eight occasions.
He has won five caps for Spain, the most recent in the 2-1 victory over Romania in June 2019.
And he was on the bench for his nation’s last two matches in September against Germany and Ukraine.
The Whites have been scrambling for reinforcements after shipping seven goals in their first two Prem games.
Llorente is the second defender they have landed following the signing of Robin Koch from Freiburg.
He will now compete with his fellow new signing – who has already given two penalties away – to play alongside skipper Liam Cooper.
Leeds travel to Sheffield United on Sunday in the Premier League.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
