Diego Llorente Among Trio of Unlikely La Liga Defenders Linked With Liverpool

Real Sociedad star Diego Llorente is one of a trio of La Liga defenders being looked at by Liverpool, according to a report in Spain.

Defence has not been an issue for the Premier League leaders, who have conceded just 21 goals this season. However, there has been talk that Dejan Lovren, now the club's fourth-choice option, will leave Anfield in search of regular game time when the transfer window re-opens.

Most smart reporting suggests that the coronavirus pandemic will likely severely impact Liverpool's transfer dealings this summer, with most (if not all) big-money moves on ice amid the financial strain.

However, a new centre back is likely to become a priority position, if Lovren does indeed leave.

Spanish outlet La Razon claim that La Real's Llorente is one of Liverpool's targets should that happen.

Their article on Sunday cites the Liverpool Echo in claims that 'Jurgen Klopp is willing to pay the €45m at which the defender is valued by Real Sociedad'.

However, the Echo, in turn, links back to La Razon's story in a never-ending wheel of unsubstantiated gossip...

Elsewhere, it is widely reported that the Spain international's release clause is somewhere in the £40-50m range, which would likely constitute the kind of big business Liverpool are specifically looking to avoid this summer, Lovren or no Lovren.

26-year-old Llorente began his career with Real Madrid and impressed with Malaga and Real Vallecano in loan spells, before a permanent move to Sociedad in 2017, where he has made over 65 appearances.

While links to Llorente are far from new for the more than casual Liverpool gossip consumer, perhaps slightly more eyebrow-raisingly, La Razon's piece also adds two more names into the mix.

They claim the Reds 'could go after' Leandro Cabrera, the 28-year-old Uruguayan centre-cum-left back at Espanyol.

Though he only joined the club in a €9m deal from Getafe in January, Espanyol's seemingly inevitable relegation could lead to a cut-price sale.

The other name mentioned is Real Betis's Zouhair Feddal, a 30-year-old card machine with seven yellows and two reds in (get this) just 11 La Liga outings in 2019/20.

The Moroccan's age and temperament make him an unlikely choice at best for Liverpool's recruitment team, even as a low-cost, Ragnar Klavan-style backup option.