Fabrizio Romano: Leeds United player closing in on €3m transfer exit | OneFootball

The Spanish defender is closing in on a Leeds United departure

Leeds United are set to sanction yet another Elland Road departure in the form of Diego Llorente, who is closing in on a transfer back to Spain with Real Betis, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Daniel Farke has faced an inevitable summer of upheaval following Leeds' failure to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking in the 2023/24 campaign, which they were denied of by Southampton in May's Championship play-off final.

The German promotion specialist will be eager to supplement his squad with the requisite additions ahead of a second promotion bid next term, and he's done so already by negotiating the permanent signing of Joe Rodon, who spent last season on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, as part of the deal that saw Archie Gray head to North London.

Marc Roca recently joined Gray in moving out the Whites' exit door by heading to Real Betis, where he'll soon be accompanied by fellow countryman Llorente. Meanwhile, the likes of Robin Koch, Luke Ayling, Cody Drameh, Ian Poveda and Jamie Shackleton have all left upon the expiration of their contracts last term.

Leeds United's Diego Llorente to join Real Betis

According to a crucial reveal from transfer guru Fabrizio Romano on X, Llorente is due to sign for LaLiga outfit Real Betis on a four-year contract, which will see Leeds net around €3m (£2.54m).

The Whites forked out a fee of £18 million for the 10-cap Spanish international from Real Sociedad upon their long-awaited return to the Premier League under Marcelo Bielsa in 2020, though he often flattered to deceive in West Yorkshire and has spent the last eighteen months on loan with Roma.

Leeds are believed to have rejected an initial bid from Betis, as per Adam Pope of BBC Radio Leeds, but it's now claimed via Matteo Moretto that the Spanish side's latest offering is convincing.

Moretto adds that "several European clubs" had fielded enquiries in recent weeks, but Betis themselves have convinced Llorente to commit to the club on a multi-year deal.

Manuel Pellegrini's side, who boast high-profile names such as Isco and Nabil Fekir, sealed seventh-placed finish in the Spanish top-flight last term and will be partaking in qualification for next season's UEFA Europa Conference League.

Leeds United will regret £18m Diego Llorente transfer

Primarily, Leeds' immediate focus has been simply getting Llorente's wages off the books which, given the profile and price of his signing four years ago, are likely to be significant - especially at Championship level.

Their wage bill was a real worry in the aftermath of their relegation from the Premier League last year, and they're now beginning to restore some balance with numerous high-profile, high-earners securing moves away from the club.

They'll be pleased to have remedied that further through the Llorente sale, although you get the impression that feelings of lingering regret and frustration will come into play once the dust settles on the deal.

The defender's contract at Leeds was set to run for another two years, and while the low fee they've accepted is justified in the knowledge of the importance that came with getting his wages off the record, it's a bitter pill to swallow after the expenditure they put into the signing in the first place.

Leeds never saw vindication of their significant investment, which will undoubtedly serve as a cautionary tale when they do achieve their promotion ambitions and return to the Premier League's business of consistent eight-figure acquisitions.