Leeds United centre-back Diego Llorente could join Roma on a permanent basis at the end of the season, according to a fresh transfer update.

Is Llorente impressing on loan?

The 29-year-old joined the Serie A giants on loan during the January transfer window, having struggled to be a regular at Elland Road during the first half of the season. He hasn't managed to become a key part of Jose Mourinho's plans, however, starting only three league matches and making only five appearances in the competition overall.

Llorente has still done his bit for the cause, though, starting twice in the Europa League and helping Roma reach the semi-finals, with a tie against Bayer Leverkusen to look forward to in the next few weeks.

His current Whites deal doesn't expire until the summer of 2026, should Roma decide against retaining his services beyond this season, but the Italian outfit do have an option to sign him permanently at the end of the season.

Could Roma sign Llorente permanently?

According to Giallorossi.net [via Sport Witness], Roma are "already in contact" with Leeds over Llorente's future. Although they are hesitant to pay the full €18m (£15.9m) release clause fee, they are "ready to negotiate" a lower amount in order to keep him at the club.

It is claimed that the Spaniard is "happy to stay" at his current temporary club and end his time at Leeds, having racked up 59 appearances in a Whites shirt and proven to be an important figure at times despite injury woes, helping them remain in the top flight last season.

In truth, an Elland Road exit makes the most sense of all parties moving forward, even though Llorente has been hailed as "heroic" by BT Sport commentator Dave Farrar recently, and is clearly someone who could still benefit Leeds. At 29, he isn't getting any younger, meaning more youthful long-terms and less injury-prone options should be looked at instead this summer.

The money received for Llorente can also go towards new signings, while the fact that Roma are offering him European football means he is likely to perfectly content with moving away from Leeds for good.

Should the centre-back depart, he should still be remembered as a solid servant who produced some accomplished performances at the heart of the Whites' defence, averaging 2.5 clearances and 2.3 tackles per game in the Premier League back in 2020/21.