Athletic Bilbao president Fernando Garcia Macua has told those clubs interesetd in signing Fernando Llorente, that the forward will not be leaving in January or the summer.
The 25-year-old, a member of Spain’s 2010 World Cup winning squad, has been linked with Real Madrid and Barcelona, but Bilbao insist he is staying put.
“He (Llorente) is not going to leave here while I am president of this club,” Mucua said on Thursday.
“He is not going to leave Athletic this summer and no-one can negotiate terms for him. Whoever wants to sign him has to pay the (get-out) clause and all the extras.
“The player wants to continue at Athletic (Bilbao) for a long time to come.”
Llorente, who has netted 12 league goals this season, says he is just concentrating on playing his football for hometown club Bilbao.
“I am already at a big club and it (the transfer talk) is not something that plays on my mind because I know what I want,” said Llorente.
“I just want to get back to my best level and score goals for Athletic. I am not thinking about anything else.”
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