Tottenham's Fernando Llorente Targets January Exit, Return to Athletic Bilbao

Fernando Llorente has expressed his desire to return to former club Athletic Bilbao in January, but he said a deal will depend on Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy.

The former Juventus and Swansea City man has played a minimal role for Spurs since moving to London, and he told Cadena Ser (h/t Goal):

"I would like to go back to Athletic. My priority is to feel important in the team. If I have the opportunity and can talk to them, for me, yes, I would like to go back. Leaving in the winter market does not depend on me, Athletic would have to talk to Tottenham and Levy."

The Spaniard has discussed a return to the Basque Country in the past, even though such a move seemed unlikely at the time, per Inside Athletic:

Llorente joined Spurs from Swansea in the summer of 2017, and the 33-year-old was expected to become the main back-up behind Harry Kane. He has barely featured for the club in the Premier League, however, making just two appearances off the bench this season.

He has seen action in Europe as well and was thrown into the mix when Spurs needed a late goal against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.

As shared by 888sport, manager Mauricio Pochettino doesn't rely on the Spaniard in those crunch situations often:

Llorente scored 15 Premier League goals for Swansea in his lone season in Wales, explaining why Spurs opted to bring him in. He also had success at Sevilla and Juventus, and he won the bulk of his silverware with the latter thanks to three Serie A titles.

His best scoring numbers came with Bilbao, where he spent the latter part of his youth career and made his La Liga debut.

Alex Caparros/Getty Images

He left the team in 2013 as a free agent after a difficult final season in which he spent much time on the bench behind Aritz Aduriz.

As Reuters reported (h/t the Guardian), the move to the bench was punishment for not signing a new contract, and Bilbao also refused to negotiate with other clubs, leading to an ugly exit.

While a reunion seemed unlikely due to the nature of his departure, Bilbao are in real need of upgrades in January. The club have endured a nightmare 2018-19 campaign so far and sit in the La Liga relegation zone as we near the midway point of the season.

The veteran striker may spend most of his time on the bench with Spurs these days, but he has enjoyed some excellent outings in cup competitions, showing he can still be an effective option.

His hat-trick against Rochdale in the FA Cup last season was a great example:

As a depth option who is rarely used, Spurs shouldn't hold out for a major transfer fee in January. Bilbao have a strict transfer policy that only allows them to sign Basque players, so their options for midseason reinforcements are limited―if Llorente is available, Los Leones should pounce.