The Juventus striker may be ousted in Turin by new
signing Mario Mandzukic but his combination of aerial strength and
goalscoring prowess has interested a number of clubs
Fernando Llorente was restricted to a bit-part role at Juventus last season and failed to hit double figures in goals in all competitions for only the second time in eight seasons.
The arrival of Mario Mandzukic will further limit his opportunities in Turin and it seems likely that last month’s Champions League final, in which Llorente appeared as a late substitute, will prove his last game in black and white stripes.
Plenty of clubs across Europe are said to be interested. The 30-year-old was linked with a move to the Premier League when he left Athletic Club and once again, Tottenham and Liverpool are among the teams reportedly eyeing his signature.
Is Llorente part of your Transfer Predictor starting XI? Goal examines the options the Spain international could be weighing up.
Liverpool sorely lacked attacking firepower last season following the departure of Luis Suarez.
A fully fit Daniel Sturridge and newcomer Danny Ings should improve the situation but Brendan Rodgers is likely to be in the market for further reinforcements, and has money to spend.
Llorente is a proven goalscorer and would add experience to a young side but does not seem to be a natural fit for the Rodgers mould – fellow target men Andy Carroll and Lambert have not fared well at Anfield in recent seasons.
That said, Llorente had the best season of his career – scoring 29 goals – under the very progressive Marcelo Bielsa at Athletic, providing astute hold-up play and taking advantage of the service provided by the quicker, creative midfielders behind him.
Harry Kane is and will remain Tottenham’s clear first-choice striker but Mauricio Pochettino must hope to have more depth and options at his disposal in attack this season.
Emmanuel Adebayor and Roberto Soldado contributed little in 2014-15 and Spurs will likely show both the door if any kind of reasonable offer arrives.
Pochettino will have been disappointed to miss out on Ings, who, as a young, improving English player fits their recruitment philosophy, but Llorente could be an affordable, capable stop-gap.
The Spaniard could partner Kane or lead the line alone in the academy product’s absence and would be a dangerous weapon to use from the bench.
With all eyes on David de Gea, Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos, there has been unusually little talk of Real Madrid’s attempts to strengthen their forward line.
Karim Benzema looks likely to stay in Spain and it has been suggested Cristiano Ronaldo could move to more of a central striking position this season.
There is still room for more depth, however; Javier Hernandez was brought in from Manchester United as cover last season and Madrid were linked to Robin van Persie and Falcao for a similar role.
Llorente could tick that box – the question is whether he would find such a move attractive.
Hernandez started only seven league games for Madrid last season and has fallen off the radar of Europe’s top clubs due to the lack of match action.
On the other hand, Llorente could be attracted by the prospect of moving back to Spain and there is no better move he could realistically make in search of silverware.
Will Llorente end up at Liverpool, Tottenham or Real Madrid or could he join another club, such as Arsenal or Monaco?
If you think the striker will be on the move, add him to your Transfer Predictor starting XI and predict his destination to boost your chances of winning this week’s prizes.
Sources by
Transferpredictor.goal.com
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