When Fernando Llorente's name appeared on Tottenham Hotspur's released list on Friday many naturally believed he had left the club, but that's not actually the case.
Llorente's name could be found on the released list the club submitted to the Premier League, rather than on the retained list.
Llorente, who scored some vital goals for Tottenham in their run to the Champions League final, was among the names of Michel Vorm and academy youngsters Dylan Duncan, Charlie Freeman, Tom Gliover, Connor Ogilvie and Jamie Reynolds.
The other six players were given an official farewell by the club on their website, however Llorente was not.
That is because football.london understands Llorente has not actually left the club yet and has three weeks left on his contract.
The retained and released lists must be handed in to the Premier League by June 7 by every club and that is where the confusion begins.
Any players who have been offered a contract automatically move to the retained list with (offer) next to their name. It's signalling the club have made an attempt to retain them.
So for example, midfielder George Marsh's contract ends on June 30 this year. He has been offered a new deal by the club so is not on the released llist. However, he is yet to accept the offer and could well leave the club at the end of this month.
For Llorente the opposite could still be true. While he is on the released list because he has not been offered a new deal yet, there is nothing stopping him and the club from agreeing on new terms during the next three weeks and him staying next season.
Whether that actually happens is another thing, but for now the experienced Spanish forward remains a part of the club until at least June 30, unless both parties decide to part ways beforehand.
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