Juventus lead chase for Llorente

Juventus are set to steal a march on their rivals in the chase for Fernando Llorente with an audacious January bid, reports Tribal Football.

The prolific target man’s contract has been with Spanish side Atletic Bilbao for over eight years, but looks set to leave this season; his contract expires in the summer and he has stated publicly that the next contract he signs will not be with Athletic Bilbao.

The 6″5 striker’s excellent goal scoring form (he has netted 82 times in 245 times for Bilbao) has led to a great deal of interest in his signature, with a scuffle for his signature when he becomes available in the summer possibly involving Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City and more.

However, Juventus look set to avoid any such bidding war by making an early bid in January, believed to be to the tune of €6m. Whilst this is (in football terms) an insignificant amount of money for such a talented player, it could be enough to bring him to Turin; as Llorente can leave for free in the summer under the Bosman ruling, Bilbao’s hand will be somewhat forced, and they may choose to cut their losses and take what they can get for someone who used to be their prized asset.

Wherever Llorente ends up, he will bring a fantastic new element to his side’s strike force. His muscular frame, coupled with the fact that he is taller with the average defender and is lethal in the air would give any side an effective and direct way of scoring when a more subtle game is proving unsuccessful.