Diego Llorente's first words after leaving Leeds United for AS Roma as he makes 'big step forward' claim

The Spanish defender’s move does contain an option for Roma to make the move permanent. Llorente has made 59 appearances for the Elland Road club since joining the summer of 2020 but has played just 13 times this term.

Upon joining Roma, he said: “When the possibility of coming to Roma was presented to me I did not need to think about it twice. Coming here is a big step forward for me in my career and I want to make the most of this opportunity.

“Rome is beautiful, an incredible city, and I think it is almost impossible to find a better place to play football. The club is fighting to achieve great things on all fronts this season and I am ready to make my contribution towards that.”

Llorente will wear the number 14 shirt at Roma, with Jose Mourinho’s side sixth in the Serie A table and preparing for a Europa League knockout tie with Red Bull Salzburg next month.

“Diego Llorente offers characteristics that will complement those of his new teammates well and for that reason we are all convinced that the club’s defensive ranks will benefit from his arrival,” said Tiago Pinto, the club’s General Manager.

“He is a player who learned his trade at one of the finest academies in football and in the years since then has gained a range of experience that will allow him to confront this new challenge in the best manner possible.”