da brwin： Fernando Llorente was arguably the most sought after free agent of the last year.
da heads bet： A protracted standoff between player and club eventually saw the frontman trade his native Spain for Italy with his intention not to sign a new deal with Athletic Bilbao becoming increasingly clear. A series of arguments with manager Marcelo Bielsa left him to play much of his final months in the reserves, a sorry end for a star who contributed so much to the Basque club’s successes. The January announcement of his deal with Juventus was seen as something of a coup for the Italian giants, a forward with international pedigree at no cost.
It seems odd therefore that we should be discussing his future after only a couple of months in Turin.
The reality of the situation is that Llorente is no more than a third choice frontman, behind the esteemed like of Vucinic and Tevez, something which should probably have been apparent to the Spaniard considering the wealth of attacking options Juve possessed last season as well. In any case if early season form is anything to go by, it would appear incredibly difficult and unlikely that the 28 year old will have much of a chance of nailing down a first team spot anytime soon. His single appearance this season really adds weight to speculation that his time at Juventus could be shortlived.
It was reported in the Guardian that Arsenal, Chelsea as well as Tottenham could all be willing to offer Llorente a Premier League escape. Would this be a shrewd January acquisition for AVB?
Juve don’t have the issue of selling at a loss with this one, any deal would represent a quick profit on someone they signed on a pre-contract deal. If he is no longer needed owing to the Tevez deal, a quick sell of a player at his peak could represent good business for the giants.
The next issue for a club like Spurs is whether Llorente would be suitable for them going forward. Personally I would have preferred the re-introduction of Adebayor, but it seems clear now that his footballing exile will be a permanent fixture for AVB having recently said the following:
“Up to when I find it appropriate, he will train with the development team.”
“He was a couple of weeks late in relation to the rest of the team, bearing in mind his
personal tragedy. So at the moment, things stand as they are.”
I don’t think his alienation from the first team is solely down to the personal trauma he has suffered, the very fact Spurs offered him to both Besiktas and Schalke would suggest the very opposite. If AVB still wants the Togolese frontman out, then for me a cheap deal to sign Llorente in January would be a prudent one for the club.
Spurs have world class striking talent in Soldado, but for me Defoe does not represent what is required coming off the bench. Soldado and Defoe are actually extremely similar frontmen, and for me that is why Adebayor is the better backup. Llorente as well is a completely different option to what Spurs already possess. Llorente is a tall target man with undoubted aerial ability, who could offer AVB a more direct approach when it is required.
I agree his lack of pace is a concern, but if Spurs ever wanted to pepper the backline of opposition aerially on occasion I can see not better option. That said the Spaniard is much more than a continental Peter Crouch. His touch and eye for goal are qualities which saw him in the reckoning for the national team during his time in Bilbao. Considering Spurs are looking to challenge on a range of fronts this term, a world class frontman offering something a little different will be important.
Unlikely to command the astronomic fee associated with world class frontmen these days, Llorente may well be available for something in the region of £10-15m should Juve want to sell. My feeling is that come January this could be the case and despite the length of his contract I imagine the Italians would be happy to accept something of a cut price fee considering they didn’t spend anything to purchase him.
If Llorente could be acquired for a reasonable price, then for me it is astute business. Spurs’ unwillingness to approach him last January gives me cause for concern, but I feel they would be keen to have him now as proven backup rather than their number one choice. In any case the availability of Llorente could spark something of a transfer frenzy in the January window.
Would Llorente represent shrewd business for Spurs?