Leeds United hope £17m signing Diego Llorente will help plug the gaps

The Whites are closing in on a deal thought to be worth around £17m. Although not yet complete, Sociedad seem confident it will go through, tweeting goodbyes and good luck messages to the 27-year-old Spanish international, who joined them from Real Madrid in 2017.

Leeds signed Germany centre-back Robin Koch earlier in the summer, but are still light in the position, having seen Ben White join Brighton and Hove Albion, and Gaetano Berardi suffer anterior cruciate knee ligament damage shortly before his contract expired.

Signing Llorente will give them serious competition there if they play a four-man defence, with Llorente competing with Koch and captain Liam Cooper for a shirt. Coach Marcelo Bielsa has occasionally played three at the back at Leeds – usually when up against two centre-forwards, as will be the case at Sheffield United on Sunday.

Koch will need time to settle into a new country, language and league, but Leeds’ need for further defensive reinforcements has been clear in their first two league games, during which they have conceded seven times. Cooper missed the 4-3 defeat at Liverpool, where Pascal Struijik deputised.

The Whites turned to Llorente after it became clear 18-year-old Josko Gvardiol would not be joining. Dinamo Zagreb accepted a bid for the teenager last week, but it seems he prefers a move to Bundesliga club RB Leipzig.

Leeds would have loved to re-sign White, but his performances on loan for them only highlighted to Brighton what an asset they have, and he has gone straight into their first team.

Bielsa values versatility in his players and the right-footed centre-back Llorente made his Spain debut as a holding midfielder in 2016. He was often used as a right-back by Real Madrid’s B team.

The tall central defender is a noted passer of the ball – an important feature in Bielsa teams – and a threat at attacking set-pieces.

Madrid-born Llorente joined Madrid as an eight-year-old but only played twice for the senior team, loaned to Rayo Vallecano and Malaga before making a permanent move to the Basque country three years ago.

Llorente was on the bench for both of Spain’s Nations League games this month, against Germany and Ukraine. He has five caps.

Leeds have also been looking for a left-back in this transfer window with their only specialist, Barry Douglas, not in their first XI. Midfielder Stuart Dallas has played there in the opening two league matches, as he did to good effect for much of last season.

Midfielder Jamie Shackleton played at right-back in the League Cup defeat to Hull City, but their need does not look so pressing there, particularly when Llorente arrives. Teenager Cody Drameh joined from Fulham in the summer and is seen as a long-term option there although he is yet to play senior football.

Bielsa favours a tight squad, which is why it is important he has players who can operate in a number of positions.

Along with left-back, Leeds’ other priority is an attacking midfielder. They are looking for a player who can operate out wide, and provide cover for midfield playmaker Pablo Hernandez, whose game-time has been limited by injury since lockdown.

The 35-year-old suffered an injury in the warm-up before Saturday’s 4-3 win over Fulham and his post-resumption appearances were limited but highly effective.

Udinese’s Rodrigo de Paul has been their main target and appears keen to join but with the clubs so far unable to agree a fee, Atalanta’s Ruslan Malinkovsky has emerged as a potential alternative.

The transfer window is open until October 5.

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James Mitchinson