According to rumours in Spain, Llorente might leave the Wanda Metropolitano this month to join the squad on Tyneside, with Newcastle having made an approach for the former Real Madrid prospect.
While no fee is connected to the piece, Liverpool were said to be interested in the 28-year-old last year and were pursuing a £35 million deal for him.
How talented is Marcos Llorente?
Llorente has made 150 appearances for Atletico Madrid since joining from city rivals in 2019 for a reputed £35 million cost, scoring 21 goals, providing 23 assists, and playing a key role in the club’s incredible LaLiga success in 2020/21.
According to FBref, Llorente is now among the top 3% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries, the top 5% for touches in the attacking penalty area, and the top 2% for progressive passes received per 90. He was described as a “incredible footballer” by talent scout Jacek Kulig.
This may be a winning formula at St. James’ Park, with Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes’ deep ball-playing ability finding the Spaniard on a regular basis and adding a whole new dimension to Howe’s attacking style.
Indeed, Tonali rates among the top 8% of midfielders in terms of assists per 90 minutes, while Newcastle’s Brazilian general ranks in the top 15% of midfielders in terms of shot-creating actions and the top 14% in terms of progressive passes per 90 minutes.
Llorente is compared to Magpies star Sean Longstaff by FBref, and obtaining the Atletico gem’s signature may signal the latest step forward for Howe’s team after qualifying for the Champions League last season.
Longstaff ranks among the top 9% of midfielders in terms of attacking box touches and the top 16% in terms of progressive passes received per 90, but he also ranks among the bottom 22% of midfielders in terms of progressive carries per 90, indicating that his ball-carrying skills are not that great and that he moves into offensive openings away from the action and latches onto passes.
Last season, the 25-year-old was dubbed his team’s “unsung hero” by analyst Paul Merson after appearing in 33 games, recording an average Sofascore rating of 6.74, scoring one goal, providing four assists, completing 83% of his passes, and averaging 1.3 tackles per game.
Llorente, on the other hand, averaged 6.97 points per game in 22 league games, making 1.4 critical passes per game, completing 86% of his passes, averaging 1.5 tackles per game, and registering one goal and two assists.
There’s little doubt that Llorente brings more to the table, and considering that he has a “influential” personality, as former teammate Luis Suarez has suggested, Newcastle may want to make the newest addition to their developing roster.
If Llorente joins Newcastle and hits the ground running, his specific set of skills could lead to him taking Longstaff’s place in the team, and while the Toon midfielder has impressed since Howe’s arrival in the dugout, the club must be ruthless in order to continue to assemble a squad capable of competing for the most illustrious of honors each season.
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