Real Sociedad sign Real Madrid prodigy Diego Llorente

Llorente, a player touted for big things at Real Madrid following his two loan spells have now been bought by Real Sociedad on a five-year deal.

The 23-year-old centre-back was never able to break into the Real Madrid first team, largely due to the dominating presence of Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane. The Spaniard spent the last two seasons on loan at Rayo Vallecano and Malaga, impressing in the latter which led to many plaudits predicting his future at Real Madrid to be extremely bright.

Llorente's ability to play both as a centre-back and a central defensive midfielder also made him somewhat of a rare commodity in world football.

However, Real Madrid have officially chosen to sell him to Real Sociedad despite already losing Pepe and not having a back-up to Casemiro.

Malaga confirmed the news on their official Twitter page and the forward was quoted by the official website as saying: "I am very happy that a club like La Real has shown an interest in me. When I heard about it I did not think twice, and I believe it has been a very good decision."

When asked about why he wanted to leave Real Madrid, Llorente said: "Maybe the because of the stability of a long-term contract after two loans," he said. "I believe I have picked up enough experience to take on important challenges now." 

The transfer fee and details of the contract were undisclosed, leaving the possibility of a buy-back clause open. For the immediate future, however, Madrid will be expected to delve into the transfer market for a centre-back as Pepe's departure only leaves them with Ramos, Varane, and Nacho.