Leeds star set to be subject of PSG transfer ‘mugging’ as reasons for sensational move are explained

Leeds United will soon be in receipt of a sizeable cash offer from Paris Saint-Germain for loan defender Diego Llorente, after the French giants’ rumoured interest in signing the Spaniard was confirmed as real and genuine.

The 30-year-old defender moved to Leeds in the autumn of 2020 following the club’s promotion to the Premier League. However, despite being tied to a deal to 2026, the Spain international was allowed to move on loan to Roma after falling out of favour under then coach Jesse Marsch in January 2023.

Despite taking time to settle into his new enviroment, Roma opted to extend Llorente‘s loan spell into a second season – this time covering the duration of the 2023/24 campaign but this time securing an option to make the move into a permanent deal for a fee of around €10m.

Given Leeds had two and a half years service from the player, and having watched the 10-times capped Spain international suffer a big dip in form prior to his exit, the move was seen as a decent one at the time from a Leeds point of view.

However, a tinkering of Llorente’s position this season has seen him revert from the left side of a three-man defence to the central man – and with it he has become one of, if not the, most consistent performers for Jose Mourinho’s side this season.

Now, however, it was reported earlier this week that PSG were surprisingly taking an interest in Llorente and were considering a move to poach him away from Roma’s grasp.

Understandably, the link was greeted with a degree of scepticism, with Llorente’s struggles in the latter months of his time at Elland Road still fresh in people’s minds.

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Reasons why PSG want Diego Llorente emerge

News of that link first emerged in France and was soon picked up upon by the Italian press.

Now Spanish outlet AS have done their own digging into the surprising link and they have confirmed that PSG’s interest in the player is, in fact, genuine.

They report that the French giants are ‘strongly considering’ an approach to Leeds for the 30-year-old, explaining that the interest in him is generated by coach Luis Enrique, who was a big fan of the centre-halves while Spanish national coach and regularly relied upon him in his squads.

That desire to sign him has been has been exasperated after PSG lost the services of star defender Milan Skriniar to a serious ankle injury in their Trophee des Champions victory over Toulouse last week. Initial estimates claim the Slovakian could be sidelined for the remainder of the season.

As a result, Llorente has been described as PSG’s ‘chosen one’ to fill the void left by the former Inter Milan defender and an approach to Leeds is likely to go in before the week is out.

However, AS admits the move is ‘hugely complicated’ and will be difficult to pull off with Leeds having to first activate an option to recall Llorente before deciding to then move the player on to Paris.

PSG move described as a ‘transfer mugging’

The move has been described though as a ‘sensational mugging’ in Italy, given Llorente’s increased importance to Mourinho’s side this season.

He has become their main man in the heart of the defence, not least in the ongoing injury absence of Chris Smalling.

Per AS Roma Live, Llorente has been ‘one of the most positive surprises of the season’ and has ‘amazed everyone with his skills as a defender’.

As a result, there are plenty associated with the club who are now fearing the worst and hoping Leeds do the right thing and honour their agreement that was initially set up last summer.

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