Full details as Diego Llorente signs new longer-term Leeds United deal

Twenty-nine-year-old Spanish defender Llorente has signed a new contract that runs until the summer of 2026. The Spanish international centre-back joined Leeds from La Liga outfit Real Sociedad in September 2020 for a fee of around £18m. The former Real Madrid defender has since made 55 appearances for the Whites, scoring four times. Capped ten times by his country, the centre-back’s previous deal at Leeds expired in June 2024.

A statement from Leeds United read: “All at Leeds United are pleased to have seen Diego commit his future to the club and now look forward to him helping the side in the second half of the season, when the campaign gets back underway on December 28 at home to Manchester City.”

Fellow Whites defender Struijk signed a new deal until the summer of 2027 earlier this week. Struijk signed for the Whites in January 2018 from Dutch giants Ajax where he had progressed through the club's Academy.

The Belgian-born defender joined Leeds having been capped for the Netherlands at under-17s level and quickly began impressing for United's under-23s before breaking into United's first team.Nearly five years after his arrival, Struijk has now amassed 79 appearances for the Whites, scoring three times. The 23-year-old has been deployed as both a centre-back and holding midfielder but has recently been fielded as United's first choice left back.Struijk, whose previous deal at Leeds expired next summer, made boss Louis van Gaal's provisional 39-man Netherlands squad for the 2022 Qatar World Cup before it was reduced. The defender, who started off at ADO Den Haag, qualifies to play for Belgium, Netherlands and Indonesia.