West Ham United linked with a swoop for La Liga defensive ace: Pros and cons of signing him

West Ham United are interested to lure Real Sociedad defender Diego Llorente to the London Stadium this summer, according to the reports.

The Hammers are aiming to strengthen their backline and Llorente has emerged as a transfer target for them, it has been claimed by Mundo Deportivo.

Reportedly, he could be available for around €25million and interestingly, he had been previously scouted by Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Fulham.

Manuel Pellegrini has added two big names already, splashing the cash to sign Pablo Fornals and Sebastian Haller this window.

The Chilean is expected to bring in a few more reinforcements before the start of the upcoming season and it will be interesting to see his approach in his rumoured chase for Llorente.

Pros and cons of signing Llorente

Llorente started his career as a holding midfielder but has established himself as a central defender at Real Sociedad, which implies that he will be a versatile asset.

He has proven himself to be a resilient operator at the back and he will be an upgrade over the resources which the London based outfit have in their artillery.

While Issa Diop is still working on his game which is admittedly already at a high level, Angelo Ogbonna has been prone to errors on many occasions. Therefore, Fabian Balbuena is arguably the best centre-back at the club.

Llorente mustered 21 appearances in La Liga last season and managed to make 1.2 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 3.8 clearances per game on an average.

The Spanish international boasts of a strong physique and his awareness on the pitch is one of his strongest suits. He is good in the air and is also an astute passer of the ball.

Moreover, he also recovers possession for his side regularly and also has a knack to charge higher up the pitch to join his side’s attacks in midfield.

However, the 25-year-old has no prior experience of the Premier League and might struggle to make his presence felt right from the get-go which Pellegrini will be looking for given the horrendous start they got off to last year.

The English top-flight welcomes tough tacklers but Llorente isn’t one. He has been criticized for his indecisive tackles at times and he certainly needs to work in this regard.

His discipline has been pointed out as one of his flaws with the player failing to hold on to his position and venturing out on his attacking forays leaving a gaping hole behind. He has to strike a better balance if he is to succeed in the Premier League.

Statistics Credits: WhoScored