Tottenham Hotspur striker Fernando Llorente is set to leave the club upon the expiry of his contract this summer – but have Spurs done the right thing in letting him go?
Football Insider report that Llorente will play his final match for the club in Saturday’s Champions League final against Liverpool.
The 34-year-old has had limited chances to impress this season, with 14 of his 20 Premier League appearances coming from the substitutes bench.
That is, of course, because he is the backup option to star man Harry Kane, and even when Kane was injured boss Mauricio Pochettino often preferred to play Son Heung-min or Lucas Moura through the middle.
Despite this, the striker’s performances displays in the Champions League have been particularly impressive, proving that he has the ability to hold his own when called upon.
The Spaniard was a halftime substitute in the away leg at Ajax and completely changed the game with his hold up play and ability to bring his team-mates into the action.
Although Llorente is clearly not the same standard of player is Kane, he brings different qualities to the table, allowing Pochettino to change tact during a match if the current system isn’t working.
His experience at top clubs such as Juventus and Sevilla also make him a fantastic player to learn from for the younger members of the squad.
Clearly his age will have been a concern to the Spurs hierarchy, with Pochettino looking to put together a younger squad that can take the club forwards in the years to come.
However, given the fact that he is unlikely to be on a high salary, we feel it would’ve been worth keeping him around for another year just for his abilities as an impact sub.
