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One winner and one loser at Leeds United if Jose Mourinho lands £18m transfer for Roma this summer

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Leeds United could part ways with Diego Llorente on a permanent basis this summer as he enjoys a loan spell with AS Roma.

Llorente’s time at Leeds has been largely unsuccessful with injuries and inconsistent form seeing him not live up to the £18million price tag the club paid in 2020 for him.

So much so that he was shipped out on loan to AS Roma in the January window, with reports claiming that the Serie A outfit hold an option to buy of £18million – seeing Leeds potentially recoup the money they paid.

His exit would have a significant impact on the playing squad ahead of 2023/24 regardless of what division the club would find themselves in.

Here, we look at one winner and one loser at Elland Road if they do let Llorente leave permanently…

Winner: Will Charlie Cresswell get a chance?

Letting a right-footed centre-back leave the club in the summer does leave a sizeable gap in the squad for next season, no matter which league Leeds are in.

Charlie Cresswell is enjoying his own loan at the moment as he stars for Millwall – prior to his eye injury – and is showing that he has great potential for the future.

The club will no doubt have been impressed by the 20-year-old’s performances at the New Den, and the pre-season schedule should see him given a chance to impress.

Llorente leaving just makes that more something that the club will want to assess.

Will Leeds stay up?

Yes

Yes

No

No

Loser: Could Robin Koch face the same pressure?

What Llorente’s exit shows is that a new contract doesn’t exactly save you from being expendable.

The club knew that Llorente’s deal running down meant that his price was running down with it, so a new contract ensured Leeds can get the right valuation for him in the summer.

Koch is in the same position now with his deal expiring in the summer of 2024, and Leeds would likely tie him down if they stay up.

However, a poor run of form that leaves the board unconvinced means he could face the same fate as the Spaniard.

Survival this season would see Leeds look to finally kick on away from the bottom three, and they can’t afford for poor performances like the last two seasons.

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October 2022, Selhurst Park?

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Leeds United season ticket holder since 2013/14, currently situated in the middle of the FA5 noise. From Pablo Hernandez to 5-1 drubbings, I've seen it all at Elland Road.