Leeds United defender Diego Llorente is thought to be eyeing a permanent exit from Elland Road and would be happy to remain at AS Roma following his loan spell.

How is Llorente getting on at Roma?

Llorente was a late departee from Yorkshire during the January window after making just eight Premier League experiences during the current campaign.

The 29-year-old sealed a move to Italy with Roma, signing on loan until the end of the season which included an £18m option to make a move permanent in the summer.

Since moving to Serie A, the Spaniard has made just five appearances under Jose Mourinho, although he has started the last two league games for Roma, helping them to back-to-back wins and clean sheets. Mourinho heaped praise on Llorente at the beginning of the month following the victory over Sampdoria, saying:

“Diego Llorente also played very well with Smalling in a 4-man defence. He worked really well during the break, and as a manager that’s what really struck me about today: Llorente’s performance.

“I could have used Celik as a central defender but he’d never done it before so we opted for a four-man defence. I was really happy with Llorente because he allowed us to keep more possession.”

It looks as if the player is already eyeing a permanent move to Roma this summer. MOT Leeds News relayed an update from Italian outlet Forza Roma regarding Llorente in the last 48 hours.

The report claimed that the player has told people he wants to quit Elland Road for good this summer, with Roma looking at how to make a move permanent without paying the £18m fee agreed on earlier this year.

Should Leeds cash in on Llorente?

Llorente didn’t exactly impress under former manager Jesse Marsch before leaving on loan, with pundit Sue Smith describing him as “really poor” during a 5-2 defeat to Brentford, criticising the defender’s lack of quality on the ball.

As per WhoScored, the 29-year-old has been the worst-rated Leeds defender this season with a match rating of 6.46/10, whereas January signing and defender Max Wober has been the club’s second-best performer with a match rating of 6.77/10.

Therefore, the Whites could be keen to sell Llorente, who is on a £45,000-a-week deal in Yorkshire. However, Roma could test Leeds’ resolve with an offer below the £18m figure negotiated, and with the player keen on a move away, an agreement could well be reached.