Arsenal and Tottenham told Llorente will cost £28m

Posted Wednesday, August 15, 2012 by Talksport.co.uk

Tottenham and Arsenal will have to fork out £28million to land Spain international Fernando Llorente, according to Athletic Bilbao president Josu Urrutia.

Llorente has sparked a mad scramble for his signature after calling off talks over a new deal, and
Athletic are now facing the prospect of losing their star player for nothing when his contract expires next summer.

The forward, who has netted 45 goals over the course of the past two seasons, is keen to leave the
Basque club to play Champions League football, but Urrutia is adamant that any suitors must meet the full value of Llorente’s buyout clause [£28m] to secure his services.

"If the player does not really want to be at this club, [someone] has to pay his buyout clause," Urrutia told Spanish newspaper El Confidencial.

Serie A champions Juventus, who have made enquiries about Robin Van Persie and Edin Dzeko, have approached Athletic over Llorente, but they’re unwilling to match his buyout clause value.

Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas is still trying to sign a new striker before the close of the transfer window, and he is thought to see Llorente as an alternative to his first-choice target Leandro Damiao.