Marcos Llorente has become the object of Bayern Munich’s attention, according to Diario AS on Saturday, and the German giants are waiting for the outcome of renewal negotiations between Llorente’s camp and Atlético de Madrid.
Sergio Picos writes that Llorente, 31, is still in discussions about a new contract with Atlético, where he has played since 2019 and recently became the club’s third captain, following the summer departure of Josema Giménez. Vincent Kompany’s Bayern, the reigning Bundesliga
champions and Germany’s rekordmeister with 35 league wins, are interested in Llorente should he make it to January 2027 without a new contract in place: from Jan. 1, Llorente would be able to negotiate with any club if he doesn’t sign a new deal at Atleti.
Llorente has played 308 games for Atlético and won the FIFA World Cup with Spain in July. Earlier this month, he announced his retirement from the national team, having made 27 appearances for La Roja since 2020.
The appeal in signing Llorente is obvious for any elite club, and the 2025/26 season might have been his best yet for Atlético. Normally the team’s starting right-back, Llorente also filled in as a midfielder on occasion and played a crucial role in helping Atleti reach a first Copa del Rey final for 13 years, as well as a first UEFA Champions League semifinal for nine years. Versatile and adaptable with elite mental and physical traits, Llorente is one of the best players in the world.
Llorente also is a guy with some unconventional beliefs. For much of his career, he has observed a paleolithic diet, and he has rejected scientific consensus that links skin cancer to sunlight overexposure. He keeps red light lamps at home and wears tinted glasses indoors to block artificial blue light. In fact, Marcos loves the sun — and Spain gets more sunlight than almost anywhere else in Europe, certainly more than Germany.
Only a serious breakdown in talks with Atlético would convince Llorente to pack his bags for Germany or — worse yet for his sunlight craving — England. Until he signs a new contract, Bayern and others will be linked with him. But it seems really unlikely that Llorente will end his career anywhere else other than Atlético, where he is a dressing room heavyweight and still one of the club’s most important players.
