EPL sides -           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.