Explained: Why Diego Llorente turned down a move to Wolves in 2019
According to Noticias de Gipuzkoa, Wolverhampton Wanderers tried to sign Diego Llorente in 2019 but failed in their pursuit as he didn’t want to move his family from Sociedad.
The 26-year-old could be on his way out of the Anoeta Stadium this summer if a suitor triggers his €50m release clause, but it remains to be seen if Wolves would consider returning for him after previously being rejected.
Noticias de Gipuzkoa said that Everton were interested in Llorente last year but Wolves made the only concrete proposal. The Spanish international had just become a father at the time, however, so he was reticent to move his family to England.
Nuno Espirito Santo has Connor Coady, Willy Boly, Romain Saiss, Leander Dendoncker, Max Kilman and Ryan Bennett at his disposal, but Wolves are looking to bolster their options at centre-back. Gabriel Magalhaes, Tosin Adarabioyo and Christian Luyindama are on Wolves’ radar, but it remains to be seen who they’ll bring in.
As for Llorente, he joined Sociedad from Real Madrid in 2017 and has gone on to make 77 appearances in all competitions, scoring seven goals and making two assists. He’s been a regular under Imanol Alguacil this season, playing in 20 games across the board, so he wouldn’t be a bad addition for Wolves.
Llorente’s lofty valuation might prove a stumbling block, however.