Fernando Llorente

[Socrates 8467]

Juve target Falcao for Llorente

Aug 17, 2014

Juventus and Liverpool reportedly asked AS Monaco for Radamel Falcao on loan, as Valencia want Fernando Llorente.

The Colombian international hitman only left Atletico Madrid for £50m last summer, but is widely believed to be unhappy at Monaco.

His first choice would be moving to Real Madrid, but they cannot make a bid this year due to Financial Fair Play rules, having already spent £90m for the likes of James Rodriguez, Toni Kroos and Keylor Navas.

According to the giornalaccio rosa dello Sport, Monaco would be prepared to loan Falcao out for one season so that he can find his fitness after a lengthy injury lay-off.

That way he’d be able to bide his time and wait one year for Real Madrid to take him on, or agree a buy-out clause with this new club.

Juventus have approached Monaco to ask for his signature, but face competition from Liverpool, who are still seeking a replacement for Barcelona-bound Luis Suarez.

The Mail on Sunday claims Monaco are demanding a £12m loan fee, though it could well be negotiated down.

The Bianconeri would pay for this move – and his huge £10m per season wages – by accepting Valencia’s bid for Fernando Llorente.

The same newspaper claims Valencia have offered €10m (£8m) for Llorente, but that Juve want double that sum to release the Spaniard.

It would be a huge boost to their finances, as they picked up Llorente on a free from Athletic Bilbao a year ago.

[Socrates 8467]

Juventus Refuse All Offers For Llorente

Aug 18, 2014

Juventus striker Fernando Llorente is not for sale at any price, amid interest from Spanish outfit Valencia.

The 29 year old Spanish international had a solid debut season in the Serie A last term, and has established himself as a first team member of the Bianconeri.

Rai Sport report that Valencia offered €10 million for the towering striker, but Juventus dismissed the offer, insisting the striker was not on the market.

Reports emerged over the weekend that Juventus were willing to offload Llorente, to then make a play for Monaco striker Falcao, but these reports have been deemed false.

Llorente has been in fine form this pre-season for Juventus, and looks set to start alongside Carlos Tevez when the league restarts.

[Socrates 8467]

Fernando Llorente Pleased With Chievo Win

Sep 1, 2014

Juventus striker Fernando Llorente has hailed his side’s start to the 2014/2015 campaign after their match against Chievo.

The Bianconeri began their title defense with a 1-0 win against the Flying Donkey’s, a result that left the Spanish striker ecstatic.

The 29 year old took to Twitter where he proclaimed, “It was not an easy day, but I’m happy to have play and especially for the win.”

The Juve big man came on in the second half for newcomer Kingsley Coman who proved to be a revelation on his debut.

Despite losing coach Antonio Conte, the Bianconeri started off their 2014/2015 campaign in a positive way, showing onlookers that they would not role over and enter a transition phase.

[Socrates 8467]

Llorente: Juve, then Spain

Sep 3, 2014

Fernando Llorente is prioritising work with Juventus, believing that any return to the Spain squad would only come as the result of that.

The striker is again out of Vicente del Bosque’s selection for La Roja’s games this international break with France and Macedonia, but does not believe a change in scenery would address his absence.

“At the moment I am very happy in Turin,” Llorente has told Marca this week.

“In the future I do not know what will happen, but for now I have no intention of leaving Juve. I have had a week with flu, without being able to train.

“I am working so as to do well with Juve, whilst the national team would be a reward that would follow on from that.

“We are facing an exciting season - the League this year will be very difficult. Roma are reinforced, whilst other teams like Napoli, Milan, inter and Fiorentina are teams that will fight for the top positions, and they are not easy to deal with.

“The goal for us is always the Scudetto - it is important to win. And there is the Champions League - the group is difficult, and [Atletico Madrid’s] Vicente Calderon and that at Olympiacos are difficult stadiums, whilst Malmo are the lesser-known opponent.

“With Simeone, Atletico in recent years have played as a complete team. They are the most dangerous.”

[Socrates 8467]

Llorente: I Have No Plans To Leave Juventus

Sep 3, 2014

Juventus striker Fernando Llorente has revealed that he’s happy in Turin and currently has no intentions of leaving the Old Lady in the near future.

The 29-year-old, who scored 16 goals and provided five assists in his 34 Serie A appearances during his debut season in Italy last term, was thought to be on the verge of making his exit from the Bianconeri this summer in order to fund a move for Radamel Falcao, but he insists that everything is going fine at Juve and claims he has no desire to play elsewhere.

Llorente spoke to Marca about his current situation at Juventus and his future with the club, while also commenting on his team’s biggest competition in the league this season.

“It’s an exciting season, the league will be very difficult this year,” said the Spaniard.

“Roma have become even more reinforced, while other teams like Napoli, AC Milan, Inter and Fiorentina are teams that will keep fighting for top positions.

“At the moment I’m doing very well in Turin. I don’t know what could happen in the future, but I currently have no plans to leave Juventus.”

[Socrates 8467]

Llorente: I Want To Play For Spain Again,
But It’s Up To Del Bosque

Sep 7, 2014

Juventus striker Fernando Llorente has revealed his hopes of being called up to Spain’s national team again, though he admits that the decision is ultimately up to coach Vicente del Bosque.

The 29-year-old was included in the tactician’s 30-man preliminary World Cup squad over the summer but was one of seven players cut from the final team that ended up in Brazil, where their poor performance earned them an early exit during the group stage of the competition.

Llorente spoke to Mediaset about wanting to represent Spain and commented on Del Bosque’s choice to replace him with Barcelona youngster Munir El Haddadi.

“There are a lot of players available to the coach, and I certainly have a great desire to make my return to the Spanish national team,” said the Juve man.

“If he chose to call up Munir instead, however, then he definitely has a good reason for it and the player deserves to be there.”

[Socrates 8467]

Llorente: 'Allegri has winning spirit'

Sep 11, 2014

Fernando Llorente said Juventus Coach Max Allegri has “a winning spirit” and trusts Fernando Torres will impress at Milan.

The Spanish centre-forward spoke to Sky Sport Italia ahead of Saturday night’s Serie A match with Udinese. Click here for a match preview.

“Allegri is a Coach with a very clear idea of his football and he’s transmitting that well to the squad. He hasn’t been here for long, but you can already tell he’s a great Coach and has a winning spirit. He will certainly be able to win with Juve too.

“We have several different tactical options and you cannot play every game the same way. We’ll continue working on alternatives and then the Coach will decide how we play from match to match.

“I hope this season to help the team with hard work and many goals. It’d be a dream to improve on the number of goals I scored last term.”

Llorente is one of several Spanish strikers in Serie A this year, including his Juventus teammate Alvaro Morata and Milan’s Torres.

“Morata is a player with a lot of mobility and can do well in any attacking role,” continued ‘The Lion King.’

“He is very quick when finishing scoring opportunities too, so I think he can really make his mark.

“Torres is a fantastic player and he just needs a good year. I think he can do very well at Milan and wish him all the best, but at the end of the day the teams are more important than the players and I hope we can have a winning year.”

[Socrates 8467]

Llorente: Allegri perfect for us

Sep 25, 2014

Fernando Llorente has described Max Allegri as ‘the perfect Coach’ to follow Antonio Conte at Juventus.

Allegri came in to replace Conte just two days into pre-season amid a mixed response from supporters, but, with four consecutive wins and clean sheets to begin Serie A, he has the backing of his players, as one of them explains.

“With him we also work hard,” Llorente has commented in an excerpt released by Calcio2000.

“He is a good Coach, a good person. Compared to Conte, he speaks more with us players. I think he's the perfect Coach for us.

“It was hard to replace someone like Conte who did and won everything possible in Turin. It wasn't easy but I think that Allegri was the right choice.

“Of course it will take some time, but I think that little by little we will become even stronger than last season.”

Asked about potential competitors for the title, Llorente pointed out Roma as the clear candidates.

“I believe that Roma are the most dangerous adversaries. They have a consolidated group with important new players.

“Beating them is going to be difficult, but we aren't afraid of anyone and, most importantly, we are still hungry for victories.”

[Socrates 8467]

Llorente Admits Crisis Of Confidence

Oct 3, 2014

Juventus forward Fernando Llorente has admitted that he is struggling to find confidence after failing to find the net so far this campaign.

After firing another blank in his homeland against Atletico Madrid, the towering striker has spoken out about his early season form.

“It’s true that I miss scoring,” the 29-year-old told Marca. “The team is going well and we have won all our matches, but I lack the goal in order to get more confidence. I always want to help the team.”

After a blistering Serie A campaign for new coach Massimiliano Allegri has yielded maximum points so far in Serie A and no goals conceded. However his squad came unstuck against Atletico, losing 1-0 to the Spanish champions.

Speaking about the game itself, Llorente added, “A draw would have been more just, but in these matches the details count and they were more fortunate.”

[Socrates 8467]

Is Fernando Llorente Still the Right
Choice Up Front for Juventus?

Oct 3, 2014

Fernando Llorente had more reason than most to wince at the new green kit that Juventus wore against Atletico Madrid. He had donned that same colour the last time he faced Los Colchoneros, back when he was representing Athletic Bilbao in the 2012 Europa League final. It turned out to be one of the most painful nights of his career, as his team was thrashed 3-0.

He left Athletic a year later, joining Juventus on a free transfer after running out his contract with Athletic. Llorente’s final season in La Liga had been a miserable one, as he was dropped to the bench and vilified by supporters for seeking a move away.

At one point, graffiti was sprayed onto the window of the club’s shop reading, “Death to Llorente, the b-----d Spaniard” (via The Score). By defining the striker's nationality thus, the artist was accusing him of betraying his roots. Athletic are fiercely proud of the fact that they only sign players from the Basque Country—the aspiring nation state to which their club belongs.

Few outsiders, though, would blame Llorente for seeking pastures new. Twenty-eight years old by the summer of 2013, the striker had given his entire career to Athletic and their associated feeder clubs. He had scored more than 100 goals for them across all competitions but never won a single piece of club silverware. Why should he not allow himself a bigger stage while he still could?

Juventus seemed like the perfect fit. A side that had already won back-to-back Serie A titles was lacking only a sharper edge up front. Arriving in the same summer as Carlos Tevez, it was immediately suggested that Llorente’s height and strength in the air would make him the perfect foil to the Argentinian—giving the club a little-and-large partnership reminiscent of club greats John Charles and Omar Sivori.

So it would prove. By the end of their first season together, Tevez and Llorente had combined for 35 league goals, firing Juventus to a record-breaking 102 points in Serie A. But one concern remained. For some reason this partnership, so devastating domestically, was not functioning to the same level in Europe, where Tevez and Llorente managed just three goals between them in a combined 22 appearances.

Much blame was assigned to the Argentinian. Prior to Juventus’s Europa League semi-final against Benfica, he had not scored in continental competition for more than five years. For Tevez, this appeared to have become a mental block—unlike Llorente, who scored in each of Juventus’s two Champions League group games against Real Madrid.

And yet, one season later, it is the Basque player’s position in the team that is coming under discussion. Because while Tevez has picked up where he left off, scoring six times in as many games—including two in the Champions League win over Malmo—Llorente has struggled, failing to find the net even once in his seven appearances so far. Nor has he yet provided an assist.

A closer look at his performances raises additional concerns. According to the stats website Squawka, Llorente is putting just 38 percent of his shots on target, compared to 64 percent last season.

Caution must be exercised when observing such a small sample size, and yet even the player’s manager seems troubled. In the build-up to the Atletico Madrid game, Massimiliano Allegri confessed that he was having a hard time deciding whether to stick with Llorente or give a chance to summer signing Alvaro Morata (quotes in Italian, via Corriere della Sera).

Although he continues to voice public support for Llorente, some are beginning to wonder whether the striker really fits the new coach’s schemes. Allegri has sought evolution, not revolution, since taking over this summer, but while Juve’s formations look much the same, the approach is noticeably different.

Under Antonio Conte, the Bianconeri sought to outwork their opponents, hitting fast on the counter and playing at a relentlessly high tempo. Allegri has instead encouraged them to slow things down and cherish the ball. It is no accident that Juventus enjoyed 64 percent possession away to Atletico Madrid.

Tevez has thrived in this new system, telling giornalaccio rosa dello Sport (quotes in Italian) that, while his old manager liked him playing close to goal, his new one has encouraged him to drop deep and change things up a little more.

But Llorente is not feeling similar benefits. Conte adjusted his team’s tactics around the striker, encouraging his wing-backs to push on more and send in crosses that would exploit the player’s height. There has been less of this approach under Allegri. Squawka’s stats show that, while Llorente is winning a greater percentage of his headers this year, he is also having less opportunities to do so.

Llorente’s backers will note that he made a slow start last season, too, scoring only twice before November. But the mitigating circumstances were greater back then, as he adjusted to playing for a new team in an unfamiliar league.

It is also true that Juventus did not have the same competition for places up front. Morata has played just 55 minutes for Juventus since completing his €20 million move from Real Madrid, but scored his first goal against Atalanta last weekend. Fellow new arrival Kingsley Coman was one of the best players on the pitch as the Bianconeri beat Chievo in their season opener, but has been restricted to a pair of substitute’s appearances since.

Perhaps now is not the time to tinker. Sunday’s game against Roma is the most important of the season so far for Juventus, with Serie A already looking like a two-horse race between those two teams. But Llorente cannot retain his position in the side indefinitely on past achievements alone.

Because the fact is that Juventus lost to Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night, failing to score just as Llorente’s Athletic team had done in that final two years ago. The Italian champions have now managed just a single draw in their last five Champions League away games. There is more to Juventus’s European malaise than the colour of those shirts.

[Socrates 8467]

How short of a leash should Fernando Llorente
get going forward this season?

Oct 14, 2014

By merely looking at the simplest of stats, one could surmise the difference in success when it comes to Juventus' two main strikers, Carlos Tévez and Fernando Llorente. In one corner, there's Tévez who has eight goals in seven games in all competitions. In the other, Llorente — who trailed only Tévez in the goals scored column last season — is still searching for any kind of consistent and positive form to write home about.

It certainly has been a change of fortune for Llorente in his second season. Once he got consistent playing time last year, the rust from so much inactivity at Athletic Bilbao during his final season in Spain seemingly shook off like a dog after a run through the rain. Instead, this season has been anything but your favorite pooch drenching you while he shakes his fur off. Nah, it's more than just that.

I bring all of this up because we don't know when Llorente will snap out of his funk. We don't know if he will open up his scoring account this weekend or four weeks from now.

And surely, neither does Max Allegri.

How long does Allegri continue to trot out Llorente?

Or, better yet, how much longer should Allegri continue to trot out Llorente before making some kind of move and changing what has been Juventus' starting striker partnership for the last 12 months?

The decision, at least in the short term, is certainly a little easier with Álvaro Morata suspended for the next two games Sassuolo game because of his little spat with Roma defender Kostas Manolas in the second half of Juve's 3-2 win over their closest competition in Serie A. Between the two of them, I'm pretty sure we can determine who has been the better player, even though the sample size for Morata is much smaller than that of his fellow Spaniard.

But when it comes to Llorente, the simple numbers aren't that pretty. Not one bit.

Llorente has gone nearly 400 minutes this season (WhoScored has him at 402, for what it's worth) without scoring a goal in Serie A. In those 397 minutes played — spanning over six games (five starts, one sub appearance) — he has put just three shots on target. Three, people, three shots. That's it. Just as a comparison, Morata has played over 300 fewer minutes than Llorente and has put four shots on frame, including his first Juventus goal against Atalanta over two weeks ago.

That kind of production is, hmmmm, not what we were expecting coming into this season.

The Llorente projection thread back at the end of July was full of optimism and talk of lots of goals. Not that six games into the season is the be-all, end-all when it comes to evaluating a player's season, but it's nowhere what many of us thought Llorente would do this season. Instead of leading the line and scoring goals like he did a year ago, he's watched Tévez score goals at a frantic pace to begin the season. While, in turn, his form has been nothing close to last year.

The reality of what has happened with Llorente: The complete opposite of what we expected.

It's natural for players to go through ebbs and flows during a season, dealing with patches of struggles and rich veins of form. And maybe that's why when I think about Llorente's starting status I'm a more little hesitant to pull the plug faster than some American television networks with their news shows that have been premiering in the states over these last few weeks. We know what kind of striker Llorente can be when everything is clicking. We've seen it with our own two eyes last season. He not only scores goals, but he makes Tévez — or whomever is playing alongside him — that much better with his hold-up play and ability to pass the ball with flicks and the rest of his diverse arsenal.

But what we have seen this season is nothing close to what we saw in Llorente's first season in bianconero. And at some point, you have to think that the prospect of Morata, a different kind of prima punta to Llorente, starting will cross Allegri's if it hasn't already. He's like the brand new car that has barely had the chance to be driven since being purchased a couple of months ago.

Something is going to change — whether it's Morata in the starting lineup or Llorente finding the back of the net. It's an either/or situation, because it's pretty easy to figure out if one those takes place, the other one won't.

[Socrates 8467]

Sassuolo, Llorente’s chance to shine

Fernando Llorente remains goalless this term and Luca Cetta says
Juventus’ clash with Sassuolo represents a golden chance to break the shackles.

Oct 18, 2014

For Vicente del Bosque the decision to call Diego Costa ahead of Fernando Llorente for Spain’s recent internationals boiled down to confidence: “I cannot get into a focus on Llorente or anyone else. It is a matter of confidence, we are calling up those who we believe are the best.” If Llorente was unlucky not to make the World Cup squad despite his bagful of goals in Turin, Del Bosque had a point now.

It has been a difficult opening to the new season for the No 14, who remains goalless after six rounds of Serie A and two Champions League fixtures. There have been contributions, but worryingly Llorente has coasted through some matches with minimal impact. It’s not the output Juve require.

With Carlos Tevez given licence to roam by Massimiliano Allegri, it leaves Llorente more isolated in attack - Tevez: “I must admit I like my new position more” - and while Allegri says he does not like ‘to provide many points of reference’, Llorente is one up front. Stats from WhoScored suggest he is more likely to hold the ball up and lay it off to a teammate or win a ball in the air this term than last. They also show Llorente simply hasn’t been firing in front of goal, his shot accuracy down on last term.

His return echoes back to the start of his Bianconeri career. It took until Round 4 to grab that breakthrough goal and another month for Llorente to really hit his straps. In between came rumours an unhappy Juve wanted an early separation from their Bosman signing. Forgetting the off-field drama Llorente worked hard to shake the cobwebs of a 2012-13 season in which he didn’t play with any regularity. Antonio Conte stuck by him and the goals flowed. El Rey Leon finished with 16 in Serie A and two in the Champions League, forming a deadly partnership with Tevez. He doesn’t look that player now.

This term there’s greater pressure on Llorente’s shoulders to perform and get amongst the goals, in the form of compatriot Alvaro Morata. The former Real Madrid striker is chomping at the bit to prove his worth, but the red card against Roma means he skips the weekend trip to Sassuolo. This gives the World Cup winner another chance to get the monkey off his back.

Llorente rediscovering his scoring touch would also take the burden off Tevez. Juve’s goals have come almost entirely from the boot of their Argentine magician. The Argentine has scored eight – six in Serie A and two in Europe – of Juve’s season total of 14. The only other striker to net has been Morata. And that productivity from midfield, so prevalent during Conte’s reign, has been missing – aside from Arturo Vidal’s brace against Cesena plus lone strikes from Claudio Marchisio and Stephen Lichtsteiner. It’s not something to cause a side which has won all six matches to panic, but they will not want to become reliant on Tevez.

That’s why the visit to Mapei Stadium is a big one for Llorente. The international break has given time to focus on a clash in which the Turin giants face a Neroverdi side holding Serie A’s third-worst defensive record. The cracks in Eusebio Di Francesco’s defence were evident against Lazio and it’s something the Bianconeri can exploit.

Curiously, lining up for Sassuolo will be Simone Zaza, the man who could be vying for a place in Allegri’s team next season. And for the Basque striker to change Del Bosque’s mind he knows the need to perform in Turin. “I hope this season to help the team with hard work and many goals. It’d be a dream to improve on the number of goals I scored last term,” he said last month.

In Reggio Emilia, Llorente has an opportunity to kick-start his season and prove he is the man to lead the Juventus attack.

[Socrates 8467]

Juventus Must Pull Toothless Llorente

Oct 24, 2014

Fernando Llorente has been struggling to get into form this season and Massimiliano Allegri needs to drop the striker from Juventus’ starting line-up. The former Athletic Club striker has played nine games for the Bianconeri in all competitions in 2014/15 and he has failed to either score or create a goal.

If Llorente’s disappointing statistics weren’t bad enough, his work ethic in games has been close to non-existent. He does not put pressure on opposition defenders and his movement is usually static. Juventus have frequently dominated possession in their matches so he cannot have any complaints about a lack of supply. Even when the ball is in the penalty box, he does not react quickly enough to pounce on the ball and has been overall too lethargic.

Llorente has proven to be the anti-thesis of his strike partner Carlos Tevez. The Argentine forward has scored six goals in as many Serie A games and has provided two assists. Tevez has also scored two goals in as many UEFA Champions League matches for the Bianconeri. Aside from his statistics, Tevez has been invaluable to Allegri’s side thanks to his hard work and determination. It would be fair to say that the Argentinian has carried the Juventus front line by himself due to Llorente’s ineffectiveness.

One possible reason for Llorente’s uninspiring performances so far is the change in coaches which has resulted in a change in Juventus’ playing style.

Under Antonio Conte the team needed to work hard and apply pressure on the opposition but under Allegri the Bianconeri have played at a slower tempo than in prior years and the intensity is lower. If Conte was still the Juventus coach, he probably would have lectured Llorente by now for his lack of determination or movement but it seems that Allegri is happy to let the Spanish striker wait for the ball in the penalty box.

There is the old saying, “If something isn’t broke, why fix it?” After losing to Atletico Madrid in Champions League and drawing to Sassuolo in Serie A, Allegri must acknowledge that the Juventus blade has grown blunt and Llorente is the cause of it.

There are two players that could take Llorente’s place in the Juventus starting line-up: Alvaro Morata or Sebastian Giovinco. Morata arrived this summer from European champions Real Madrid. He suffered a knee injury in pre-season training and he was sent-off against Roma but Morata has looked more lively than his compatriot whenever he has featured.

Although he has not started a match for Juventus this season, Morata has scored a goal in his first four Serie A matches. Perhaps with more match time the Spanish youth international can make more of an impact in Juventus’ attack.

Giovinco has not lived up to expectations since he has been at Juventus but he has provided some spark whenever he has played. Italian football is lacking in support strikers and someone with his flair can light up an attack. He has played four times for the Bianconeri this season, but he has also played twice for Italy and his pace and dribbling have trouble opposing defences. Although the quality of opposition was not the best, at least he is creating a presence unlike Llorente.

Allegri has been putting too much faith in Llorente since the start of the season, but if Llorente does not start scoring, it could hurt Juventus in their quest for more success.

Today, it is time for Allegri to start someone alongside Tevez who can make a real difference as opposed to simply being a passenger.

[Socrates 8467]

Atletico Madrid want Fernando Llorente?

Nov 10, 2014

Atletico Madrid are reportedly preparing a surprise January move for Juventus striker Fernando Llorente.

The 29-year-old spent nine seasons in La Liga with Athletic Bilbao, before moving on to Juventus at the start of the 2013-14 season.

The Spaniard has impressed in Turin, but it is understood that the striker could be open to the possibility of a return to Spain.

According to 13TV, Atletico boss Diego Simeone will make a move in January, although Juve are said to be not keen on a sale.

Llorente scored twice in his side's 7-0 win over Parma at the weekend.

[iker0828 0]

Malmö FF - Juventus 0-2 | Fernando Llorente goal against Malmö (0-1)

 

 

Fernando Llorente celebrates with his teammates after scoring.

 

 

 

[Socrates 8467]

Nice pictures Iker. Muchas gracias.

[Socrates 8467]

Llorente: I won't cry over Spain exile

The 29-year-old striker has not featured for La Roja since November 2013 but he claims
that he does not mind if he no longer retains the confidence of Vicente del Bosque.

Nov 27, 2014

Fernando Llorente says he is not going to cry over his continued exclusion from the Spain squad, insisting his sole concern is on helping Juventus win their Champions League group decider with Atletico Madrid next month.

The towering striker has not been summoned by Roja coach Vicente del Bosque for a year - despite a fine debut campaign in Serie A last season.

Llorente has found goals more difficult to come by this term but he netted the opener in Wednesday night's 2-0 win at Malmo, which has left Juve needing only a point at home to Atletico on December 9 to progress to the last 16 of the Champions League.

However, the Bianconeri would claim top spot if they were to beat Atletico by two clear goals, given they were defeated 1-0 by the Spanish champions at the Vicente Calderon on matchday two.

The game in Turin clearly represents an excellent opportunity for Llorente to impress before a Spanish television audience, which will most likely include Del Bosque, but the former Athletic Bilbao forward says his primary focus is on victory.

“I’m not going to cry if I don’t get into the national team," Llorente told Sky Sport Italia.

"I don’t know if I have the confidence of the coach. I only know that I have to continue working well with my club.

"We have to win against Atletico and we will try to clinch first place in our group.”

However, Llorente admitted that he is happy with his recent form, having netted three times in his last three outings in all competitions.

"I am working well and I think it shows on the pitch," the 29-year-old stated.

Llorente, who joined Juve on a free transfer from Athletic last year, has netted seven times in 24 previous appearances for Spain.

[Socrates 8467]

Llorente Doubtful Of Messi And Ronaldo Success In Serie A

Dec 12, 2014

Juventus forward Fernando Llorente has stated he doubts if La Liga players Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi would score as many goals as they currently do if they were playing in Serie A.

Real Madrid’s Ronaldo recently scored a record 23rd La Liga hat-trick, while Barcelona’s Messi has scored over 400 goals for his club; but Llorente feels Serie A would propose a tougher test.

“Ronaldo and Messi are out of this world but I would like to see them play in Italy,” said Llorente in an interview with Cadena Cope.

“Here defences are very tight and many players play behind the ball.

“It would be difficult for them to score that many goals over here.“

The Spanish striker also confirmed in the interview that his immediate future lies with the Bianconeri.

“In the summer there were offers for me, but my priority has always been to stay at Juventus,” said Llorente.

[Socrates 8467]

Tottenham option for Llorente?

Feb 16, 2015

Juventus striker Fernando Llorente is reportedly a target for English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.

The Spanish international has struggled for form this season, managing just four goals in his 20 Serie A appearances so far.

According to RAI, Spurs are interested in the forward, with Emmanuel Adebayor likely to leave the club and Roberto Soldado less prolific than expected.

However, it is not clear whether the Bianconeri would be willing to sell Llorente, with Real Madrid retaining a buyback option on Alvaro Morata.

The big striker managed 18 goals in all competitions last season, and has been capped 23 times by Spain.

[Socrates 8467]

Juventus Lining Up Zaza To Replace Llorente

Mar 25, 2015

Juventus are looking to complete the signing of Sassuolo striker Simone Zaza, as Fernando Llorente nears the exit door.

The Italian striker has netted 17 Serie A goals since joining the Neroverdi in 2013, leading to being capped by the national team, and is believed to be an ideal replacement for 30-year-old Llorente – who has struggled to a tally of five goals in 2014/15.

According to Tuttomercatoweb.com, the Bianconeri were unable to bring Zaza to Turin in January, so signed Alessandro Matri on-loan, with a view to finally bringing the 23-year-old to the Serie A leaders in the summer for €15 million.

This will coincide with Spanish striker Llorente departing to one of the prospective Spanish and English clubs that are chasing the attacker’s signature for around €10m, largely covering the cost of signing Zaza.

While the likes of Paulo Dybala and Edinson Cavani are still on the Old Lady’s wish-list, this deal is favoured by the Juve hierarchy because of Zaza’s potential.

[Socrates 8467]

Tottenham And Liverpool Ahead In Battle For Llorente

Mar 27, 2015

Fernando Llorente could leave Juventus at the end of the season with up to five Premier League clubs interested in capturing his signature.

Llorente, 30, joined Juventus from Athletic Bilbao in 2013 on a free transfer but could be set to leave the Bianconeri this summer with two years still to run on his contract.

The Premier League would seem the likeliest destination with five clubs reported to have declared an interest in the Spanish forward, according to TuttoJuve.com, who would likely cost around €10 million.

Tottenham Hotspur want to compliment their free-scoring forward Harry Kane with Llorente’s experience, whilst Liverpool are trying to offload Mario Balotelli and could look to the Juventus striker as a replacement.

West Ham United and Everton are also interested and Aston Villa could be set to step-up their interest if they can maintain their Premier League status.

[Socrates 8467]

Barcelona look to Llorente

Mar 29, 2015

Spanish newspapers claim Barcelona will make a €12m bid for Juventus striker Fernando Llorente.

The headline of Catalan paper Sport reads: ‘Surprise transfer’ and lists Luis Enrique’s desire to sign a more physical ‘Henrik Larsson’ type of centre-forward.

Llorente is the main candidate with Manchester City’s Edin Dzeko as the alternative.

It would be a more than viable idea for all concerned, as Llorente arrived on a free transfer when his contract expired with Athletic Bilbao in June 2013.

Juventus would therefore make pure profit by selling him on and it could be in the region of €12m.

Tottenham have also shown an interest in swooping for Llorente if they can’t get Simone Zaza from Sassuolo.

Llorente has dropped down the pecking order at Juve behind Alvaro Morata, who is also on the front pages of the Spanish papers after scoring his first senior goal.

Morata got the winner in a hard-fought 1-0 qualifier against Ukraine on Friday.

[Socrates 8467]

Spurs eye Llorente and Ogbonna

Apr 5, 2015

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in both Fernando Llorente and his Juventus teammate Angelo Ogbonna.

The Premier League club was already rumoured to be after the Spaniard, and La giornalaccio rosa dello Sport confirmed this weekend that the player may be on his way out at the end of the season.

The 30-year-old centre-forward has scored seven goals in 32 official games for Juve this term.

Tuttosport further links Spurs to Ogbonna, reporting that the 26-year-old defender would not look down on a move to England.

While his first choice is believed to be the Bianconeri, he may choose to pack his bags should the club prioritise the development of Daniele Rugani, who has already been signed from Empoli.

Ogbonna has made 17 Serie A appearances this season, but was pushed back to the bench by Andrea Barzagli’s return to fitness.

[Socrates 8467]

Llorente: Juventus can shock Real Madrid

The Spanish attacker is confident the Serie A champions can cause an upset
and was delighted with his goal in the 3-2 win over Fiorentina on Wednesday.

Apr 30, 2015

Fernando Llorente believes Juventus have what it takes to spring a surprise against Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the Champions League.

The Serie A champions last made it to the final of the competition in 2002-03, when they were beaten by AC Milan on penalties, and Llorente has set his sights on shocking Madrid.

"We will need a perfect performance against Real Madrid in the Champions League," Llorente told reporters.

"I am confident that we are more than capable of causing them a few problems, though."

Llorente featured from the start in Juventus' 3-2 win over Fiorentina on Wednesday for the first time since the 1-0 loss against Parma on April 11.

He scored once as Massimiliano Allegri's men edged one step closer to the Serie A title and was delighted with his return to the starting XI.

"I hadn't played in a while and Wednesday's goal was important for me.

"We were four points off the title, now it's just one. We'll look to wrap it up as soon as possible and then we'll think about the Champions League.

"Could I start against Madrid? I scored last year against them, but the coach has many options. I'm ready to give my all if I get the nod."

[Socrates 8467]

Llorente: ‘Unique opportunity in CL’

May 1, 2015

Fernando Llorente believes Juventus’ Champions League semi-final with Real Madrid represents a ‘unique opportunity’.

The Bianconeri can wrap up a fourth consecutive Scudetto this weekend, and while Llorente sees that as a great achievement, the Spaniard admits that Europe is where the season will be judged.

“We have to wrap up the title as soon as possible so that we can focus solely on Real Madrid,” Llorente told Spanish newspaper As.

“In truth, it’s a dream for us to play a semi-final with the chance of going to Berlin.

“People seem used to us winning Serie A now, but the fact is that it’s not easy. But what will change the way the season is viewed is the semi-final, it’s a unique opportunity for us.

“We really hope we can play two great games, we know how good Real Madrid are up-front, and we can’t afford any errors.”

Llorente has found playing time harder to come by in the latter half of the season, being ousted from the team by compatriot Alvaro Morata.

Despite this, the Spanish international is happy for this teammate.

“He and I are competing for a place. I’ve tried to help him as much as I could, and he’s adapted very quickly.

“He’s alert, and he’s having a great season. It’s normal that he had difficulties at the beginning, as I did myself. It’s a different game here in Italy, but he’s giving a lot to the team.

“We are different, Allegri has several options depending on the opposition.”