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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Wolves head into the new Premier League season with added acclaim after qualifying for the Europa League with their seventh-place finish last term.
Nuno Santo's side have already overcome Northern Ireland outfit Crusaders in the second qualifying round and now face Armenian-based Pyunik over two legs to continue their historic European journey.
However, they mustn't take their minds off improving on their Premier League exploits last season and that will be so much harder to achieve if they continue to progress in the Europa League.
By the close of the transfer window on Thursday evening, they will have already played their third competitive game of the season and that's before a ball has even been kicked in the English top-flight.
A result of their progression would be the increased number of matches they will face this upcoming season therefore the 45-year-old could do with strength in depth and Diego Llorente would offer exactly that - and so much more.
The 25-year-old has been linked with a move to the club according to Mundo Deportivo, via Sport Witness.
On the chalkboard
Llorente is primarily a centre-back for La Liga side Real Sociedad, but he can also play in defensive midfield or at full-back.
He's described as a player who possesses excellent positioning and strong aerial ability, and it's his versatile nature which would make him a valuable asset in the West Midlands.
Santo currently has a number of decent options at centre-back, especially with the addition of Jesus Vallejo who has joined the club on loan from Real Madrid. He is surely going to play games otherwise Zinedine Zidane wouldn't have sent him out to develop.
Wolves' other ball-playing defender is captain Conor Coady, one of the key focal points of the Portuguese manager's system. He averaged a passing success rate of 84.3% last season.
Llorente could prove to be a worthwhile alternative to both the aforementioned defenders, especially as more and more games creep into their schedule.
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The club have also been linked to a number of central midfielders who can play slightly deeper if required - Southampton's Mario Lemina and AC Milan ace Franck Kessie are just two of the names.
Llorente has the ability to play in the very same role, further strengthening his claims.
In terms of defending last season in La Liga, Llorente was rather solid winning an average of 2.8 aerial duels per game which rated a lot higher than Coady's 0.8 average per game.
He was also better with the ball at his feet, marginally, scoring a passing success rate of 84.8% - 0.5% higher than Coady, which only goes to show he could be a viable alternative.
In addition to that, his average passes per game ranked above Coady (44.4) as well as the two linked midfielders, Lemina (38.6) and Kessie (49.7) at 52.3 per game.
Llorente could be the final home run in a good summer of business for Wolves, helping provide extra quality and depth ahead of what could be a taxing campaign.
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