Fernando Llorente ready to play for Real Madrid for free

Fernando Llorente has claimed he is ready to play for Real Madrid and be Karim Benzema’s understudy for free.

In a conversation with Spanish outlet El Larguero, Fernando Llorente suggested that he has always wanted to represent Real Madrid.The veteran Spanish striker added that he would not hesitate to join Los Blancos and even play for them for free if they approached him.

Fernando Llorente has been the quintessential journeyman footballer since graduating from the Athletic Club academy nearly two decades ago. The 37-year-old striker has represented nine clubs thus far in his career, with this longest stint coming with Los Leones from 2005 to 2013.

Since leaving Athletic Club, Llorente has had short stints at several prominent clubs, including Juventus, Sevilla, Tottenham Hotspur and Napoli. And the veteran Spanish striker has been a free agent since ending his one-year spell with Eibar this past summer.

Llorente has now proclaimed that he is ready to join Real Madrid and play for Los Blancos for free, suggesting that all he needs is an approach from the reigning La Liga champions. He has also added that he previously had the chance to join Real Madrid, but they never activated his release clause.

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“I would have liked to wear white. Real Madrid are incredible what they are doing in the UEFA Champions League and what we experienced last season. I was never close to Real Madrid. Whenever they wanted me, they didn’t pay the clause and then Juventus was faster. I would go to Real Madrid for free tomorrow.”

Several strikers have emerged on Real Madrid’s radar in the last couple of months, but most of them are shortlisted because one of them can be a long-term successor to Karim Benzema. Some of these strikers include Endrick, Benjamin Sesko and Youssoufa Moukoko. On the other hand, Llorente will only be a short-term solution.

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But with Mariano Diaz out of favour at the Santiago Bernabeu, signing an experienced player like Llorente for a year or two might not be a bad idea. But it will be interesting to see if Real Madrid will sign the veteran Spanish striker on a free transfer.