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Athletic Bilbao 'could seal emotional reunion with former striker Fernando Llorente' but ex-Tottenham star's salary demands could prove to be a stumbling block

Former Tottenham hero Fernando Llorente could finally return to his beloved Athletic Bilbao if the Liga club can strike a deal with Napoli to circumvent their wage structure by bringing the veteran striker in on loan next season.

Llorente, who scored the late winner that gave Spurs an epic away goals win over Manchester City in the Champions League quarter-finals last season, has been largely kept in reserve by Napoli since moving to Serie A at the end of the campaign.

He could reverse the move he made at the start of his career, when he left Athletic for Juventus after scoring 118 goals in 333 games between 2004 and 2013, by rejoining his hometown team next season on loan from Italy.