Marcos Llorente has signed a new six-year contract with Atletico Madrid which will keep him at the club until 2027.
Llorente came to Atelti from city rival Real Madrid in 2019 after failing to make the grade at the Santiago Bernabeu. Since then, he has steadily established himself as one of the site’s key players.
Marcos Llorente signs extension to 2027? pic.twitter.com/UWlvqmQcaA
– Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) August 18, 2021
Llorente has made 82 appearances in just over two years and helped Atletico secure the La Liga title last season. During that campaign, he was involved in all but one match and recorded 12 goals and 11 assists.
His versatility was also an important asset with Llorente being placed in all sorts of midfield roles as well as right-back when Kieran Trippier was suspended.
His fine performances have aroused interest from Atletico’s rivals earlier with Manchester United linked to the player in January last year. However, he seems to stay in Madrid for the foreseeable future with the club confirming that he signed new terms on Wednesday.
The news is a significant boost for Diego Simeone’s side as they try to defend their La Liga crown this season. Although it is linked to a number of players this summer, Atletico have only made two signings so far. Marcos Paulo has joined from Fluminense on a free transfer, while Rodrigo de Paul has arrived from Udinese after being linked with a number of top clubs in recent years.
Earlier this summer, they were said to be interested in a move for Antoine Griezmann in a deal that would have seen Saul Niguez move in the opposite direction. That particular switch has long been dead, and Niguez seems increasingly likely to stay at Atletico this summer.
Simeone’s accusations got their title defense off to a good start on Sunday and secured a 2-1 victory over Celta Vigo thanks to a stay from Angel Correa.
