Real Sociedad have fended off competition from Everton for the signature of €8m-rated (£7m) Real Madrid defender Diego Llorente, according to Marca, via Football Espana.
Llorente, 23, spent last season on loan at Malaga and the chances of forcing his way into Zinedine Zidane’s first team plans appears slim after the Madrid manager opted to recall Jesus Vallejo back from his loan spell to fill in as the club’s fourth centre-back for next season.
Sociedad have fended off late competition from Everton to agree a deal with the Spaniard and Llorente has already started looking for a place to stay in San Sebastian with an official announcement imminent.
Zidane’s side have included a buy-back clause in the £7m deal, which is standard procedure for all Madrid academy products, and Llorente, who can also play in front of the back four, will primarily provide competition with Raul Navas and Inigo Martinez at the heart of the La Real defence.
Only Luis Hernandez (89) completed more clearances of all Malaga players in La Liga last season than Llorente (85), while only Ignacio Camacho (115) made more interceptions (Llorente - 77).
For more stats on Diego Llorente, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
