Real Madrid announce the sale of Llorente to rival Atletico

Real Madrid lose their first player this summer after reaching an agreement with their neighbours Atletico Madrid to sign their midfielder Marcos Llorente in a deal worth a reported €40 million.

A statement on Atleti’s official club website read: Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid have reached an agreement for the transfer of Marcos Llorente to our club, pending that the player from Madrid overcomes the relevant medical examination. “It is expected that after performing this medical examination, the midfielder will sign a contract that will link him to our entity for the next five seasons.”

A statement on Real Madrid’s official club website read: “Real Madrid C.F and Atlético Madrid have reached an agreement over the transfer of Marcos Llorente. “The club wishes to express its gratitude for the commitment and professionalism shown by the player over the years and for the exemplary conduct he displayed since he joined our academy in 2008 through until his time as a member of the first-team squad. “Real Madrid wish the player all the very best in this new chapter.”

The 24-year-old midfielder has signed a five-year deal and will act as Rodri Hernandez’s replacement who is close to joining Premier League champions Manchester City, with many sides interested in paying his 70 million euro release clause.

Real Madrid coach, Zinedine Zidane informed Llorente that he was not counting on him for next season and the midfielder then learnt of Atletico Madrid’s interest, at which point he prioritised Los Rojiblancos over any other club.

Atletico have all of what Llorente was looking for: the request of his new coach, Diego Simeone; a side that is in the Champions League and is ambitious; a team that could financially complete the deal, rather than it being another loan; and, if that was not enough, in his city of Madrid, where he has his family, partner, friends, personal trainer and also his business. Simeone even wanted him two years ago. He’s finally got his man.

The main stumbling block for a long period in the deal was Real Madrid. The idea of Llorente, a player who had come through their academy, going to play for Atletico is a bitter pill to swallow. However, although they wanted teams like Roma and Inter to enter the fight to sign him, they ended up accepting the deal. Economically it is a good sale as Madrid need to generate funds after their extravagant summer thus far, while Llorente was willing to do everything to force the transfer to happen.

It seemed as though Llorente was ready to become one of the future leaders of Los Blancos back in December, when Santiago Solari was the head coach, but Zidane does not seem to rate him; not in his first spell and not his second either. In fact, the midfielder would have left Madrid last season, had Zidane not departed.

He will now be led by Simeone, a coach who will exploit his physical and defensive skills. On paper, Llorente looks perfect for the Argentine. Atletico, meanwhile, are getting a hungry 24-year-old who will want to prove Madrid and Zidane wrong for letting him leave.