Napoli sign free agent Fernando Llorente

Napoli have completed the signing of free agent Fernando Llorente despite the striker being linked with a return to Athletic Club Bilbao this summer.

The 34-year-old netted eight goals and provided five assists in just 1,238 minutes of action last season and he was previously linked to Barcelona this summer.

Earlier this month, Italian transfer guru Gianluca Di Marzio said Manchester United were proposing the Spanish striker as plugging a gap in their squad following Romelu Lukaku’s departure to Italy.

As Llorente is without a club, he could have been signed by any club in England up until the end of August, despite their transfer window closing three weeks prior

Ernesto Valverde also coached the experienced striker during their spell together in Athletic Club Bilbao and he is out of contract this summer, meaning he would not cost a transfer fee.

The former Sevilla and Juventus striker netted 118 goals between 2004 and 2012 at Athletic but until an injury to Harry Kane last season, he had struggled for game-time.

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