Aston Villa Sources: Significant Llorente update today

Aston Villa will find it difficult to land a deal to sign Diego Llorente from Real Betis in January, sources close to the club have told Football Insider.

Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, senior correspondent Pete O’Rourke revealed that Unai Emery is keen to bring a new centre-back to the club in the January transfer window to strengthen his back line.

Llorente, 31, has emerged as an option given his Premier League experience after making 59 appearances for the club before leaving after their relegation.

The centre-back was highly regarded at Elland Road, and has impressed during spells with Roma and now Real Betis, catching the attention of the transfer team at Villa Park.

However, he signed a long-term contract after joining Betis from Leeds in the summer, which is set to keep him with the club until 2028.

This has made any suggestions of a potential move complicated just six months after signing the deal, and Villa may be forced to consider alternative options.

Aston Villa plotting move to sign Diego Llorente from Real Betis

Emery wants to strengthen his squad in January to give his squad the best chance of qualifying for the Champions League for a second consecutive season.

Many of the Spaniards behind the scenes and in the rercrutiment team at Villa Park are already said to be aware of Llorente’s capabilities, making him a key target.

However, there is also a growing belief that a deal may prove too difficult to pull off while Betis are reluctant to entertain talks over a move.

Llorente has established himself as an important part of their side, having made 17 appearances so far, with 16 of those coming from the start.

He was also part of the Spain squad which won the European Championships in Germany, beating England in the final.

Meanwhile, sources say Emery has not been convinced by Diego Carlos’ performances and could accept offers for him in January to free up wages and space in his squad.

In other news, Chelsea respond to Villa’s swoop for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.

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