Fernando Llorente has elected to join Real Sociedad. The txuri-urdin have already reached an agreement with the former Athletic front man and now it remains to be seen what Sevilla think is a reasonable deal for the striker to move to San Sebastián. Negotiations are advancing well but as yet no firm arrangement has been reached.

Llorente is under no illusions that his future lies away from the Sánchez Pizjuán and Sevilla are more than happy for him to speak to potential suitors. Llorente’s representative has been in talks with La Real and if the striker moves on a permanent deal, which remains a possibility, Sociedad will offer a longer-term contract to compensate Llorente for loss of earnings on the two years he has left on his deal at Sevilla.

In essence, La Real will offer to pay Llorente over the course of four years what he would have earned at Sevilla over the last two years of his existing deal, an arrangement to which Llorente is open. This is the formula that La Real used to secure the return of Asier Illarramendi from Real Madrid last summer. The possibility of a loan deal also still remains on the table.