Chelsea are reportedly interested in signing Atletico Madrid star Marcos Llorente, with the La Liga champions open to cashing in on the midfielder this summer.
According to a report from Spanish publication El Gol Digital, reigning European champions Chelsea have set their sights on Atletico Madrid and Spain midfielder Marcos Llorente, who could be sold by the La Liga title-holders in the ongoing transfer window.
Llorente has been with Atletico Madrid for two years now, having signed from boyhood club Real Madrid and has grown into a pivotal player for Diego Simeone’s side. The 26-year-old has become an indispensable member of the starting XI at the Wanda Metropolitano and was one of their top performers in the season gone by, helping them to the La Liga title.
Llorente ended the 2020/21 term with an impressive return of 13 goals and 12 assists from 45 games across all competitions. Utilised in a multitude of roles, be it as a central midfielder, on the right flank, or even as an auxiliary forward, the Spanish international performed admirably and has currently been starring for Spain at the UEFA Euro 2020, where he has been asked to do the job as a right-back.
However, despite his value to the team, Atletico Madrid are now considering cashing in on Llorente this summer as they look to make a move for Rennes midfielder Eduardo Camavinga who is also a target for Manchester United. With the Rojiblancos willing to offload Llorente to generate funds for the Frenchman, Chelsea have been alerted to the possibility of swooping away the ex-Real Madrid man.
Chelsea are already blessed with a solid midfield unit with N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Jorginho and Billy Gilmour, while loanees Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Conor Gallagher will also be returning to the team imminently. So, their interest in strengthening their midfield options does come as a bit surprising. However, with Kante entering his thirties and dealing with a few injury issues, bolstering their options wouldn’t be the worst idea.
Furthermore, Llorente’s versatility means he could operate as one of the attacking midfielders, replacing Hakim Ziyech who has been linked with an exit from Stamford Bridge, while he could also provide cover at right wing-back as well. The 26-year-old’s energy and work rate would make him a good fit into Thomas Tuchel’s high-intensity system as well.
However, the report adds that Llorente’s current value in the market is upwards of the €60 million mark. Whether the Blues are willing to meet that valuation or decide to look at other options such as Feyenoord’s Orkun Kokcu remains to be seen.
