da esport bet： Leeds United defender Diego Llorente looks set to join AS Roma, which has left TEAMtalk reporter James Marshment shocked.

The Lowdown: Llorente on his way to Roma?

da wazamba： News emerged on Monday morning that the Spaniard looks set for a move to Italy in the final days of the January transfer window. An agreement is in place between Leeds and Roma which will see the centre-back join Jose Mourinho’s side on loan until the end of the season.

The Serie A club will then have the option to sign Llorente permanently in the summer, despite the fact that he only signed a new deal at Elland Road last month.

The Latest: Marshment shocked

Marshment took to Twitter shortly after the update came to light regarding Llorente.

He was ‘absolutely thrown sideways’ at the news which ‘comes as a shock’, believing that there has been a ‘dramatic shift’ since the 29-year-old penned new terms in Yorkshire just before Christmas.

The Leeds-supporting journalist concluded by stating his ‘fear’ that Llorente leaving ‘may leave us a little light on right central defence’.

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The Verdict: Seems to makes sense

Llorente has fallen out of favour under Jesse Marsch, making just one start in the Premier League since October, so a temporary exit from Elland Road appears to be the right call for everyone involved.

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The 29-year-old has been the club’s worst-performing centre-back this season as per WhoScored metrics, with Phil Hay believing that a new contract was primarily given in order to maintain his value.

That looks set to have worked, and if Leeds are able to recoup the £18m that they paid for the Spaniard in 2020 – with Hay suggesting that the move will come with an obligation to become permanent rather than an option – it could be a smart piece of business, especially with Marsch having four other senior centre-backs at his disposal