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Fernando Llorente: 'Joining Chelsea in January was too difficult'

Fernando Llorente acknowledges that swapping Swansea City for Chelsea in January was never going to be likely, as teams are reluctant to sell their key players.

Swansea City striker Fernando Llorente has confirmed that Chelsea were interested in signing him during the January transfer window, but says that completing a move was 'too difficult'.

The Spanish World Cup winner recently saw his name linked with a switch to the Blues, who are now under the management of his former Juventus boss Antonio Conte.

Llorente insists that he is now "very focused" on helping Swansea in their bid to secure Premier League safety, having scored eight goals in 21 top-flight appearances so far for the Welsh outfit.

"I already know Conte from Juventus," he is quoted as saying by The Mirror. "But it's difficult in the winter when there's a way out from a side you're playing for and it's normal that they didn't go ahead with the deal.

"I'm very focused on the team and am looking forward to helping save us from relegation. The last few games I've been happy with as we've gotten away from the bottom. It will be a very tough fight, though, and we hope to get further ahead when we face Leicester in a final next Sunday."

Swansea, who also kept hold of star player Gylfi Sigurdsson last month, have seen their fortunes improve under new boss Paul Clement and are currently outside the relegation zone.

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Paul Clement manager of Derby County looks on prior to the Sky Bet Championship match between Nottingham Forest and Derby County at City Ground on November 6, 2015
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