Liverpool, Everton locked in battle for defender Diego Llorente?

Liverpool have reportedly readied a £25m offer for Real Sociedad defender Diego Llorente to fend off Merseyside rivals Everton.

The Reds are rumoured to have eyed up the 25-year-old as a possible central-defensive option for next season.

Llorente has already got 70 La Liga appearances under his belt, including a couple for former club Real Madrid, where he started his career.

After spending time on loan with Rayo Vallecano and Malaga, earning a couple of Spain caps thanks to his performances, the Real academy product joined Sociedad on a permanent deal in 2017.

Both Liverpool and Everton have been impressed by Llorente and, according to Basque newspaper Noticias de Gipuzkoa, they could be about to go head to head for his signature.

Llorente has a release clause of around £43m written into his contract, but the report indicates that Liverpool will test Sociedad's resolve with a smaller bid.