Leeds United are reportedly closing in on their third signing of the summer with Bayern Munich midfielder Marc Roca said to be close to sealing a switch to Elland Road. According to various reports, the 25-year-old is set to follow Brenden Aaronson and Rasmus Kristensen through the door at the Whites to continue a busy start to the summer transfer window.
Leeds have been chasing a new midfielder for a number of months now and appear to have got their man, with Roca reportedly set to put pen to paper on a four-year contract, in a deal worth around £12 million. That will take Leeds’ spending to just shy of the £50 million mark, as they look to ensure a more successful season this time around.
Roca has struggled for regular game time since his move to Germany in 2020, but was very highly rated during his time at Espanyol, with Bayern beating several top clubs to his signature. While his spell at the Allianz may not have gone to plan, plenty of people at Bayern have had some good things to say about him during his time there.
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So with that in mind, here is a look at some of what has been said about Leeds’ potential new midfield signing.
Board member Hasan Salihamidžić was very pleased to have secured his capture in October 2020, labelling him as ‘outstanding’. He said: "We're very happy to have signed Marc Roca. He's an outstanding fit for our team both as a player and a person and will continue to develop here with us. We're sure he'll add great value to our team."
Former manager Hansi Flick claimed Roca had some things to work on from a defensive standpoint following his move but was impressed with his desire to work hard in training. He said: “Positioning is decisive, both with — and off — the ball. Marc was sometimes too deep in possession yesterday. We will work on that.
“You need a little time to get to know the process. He works very hard, is very diligent, and has a very good professional attitude, which is very positive. The situation to incorporate him has simply not yet arisen. We haven’t had too many training sessions with the entire squad. You have to train these types of things, too.”
Current Bayern boss Julien Naglesmann was almost apologetic for not giving him more game time, as he hailed his performance in a 5-0 victory over Stuttgart last December. He said: “I praised him in the dressing room after the game. I don’t usually praise individual players in front of the others but today he deserved it.
“We know he’s a good footballer, but the way he fought and gave everything was impressive. I love the kind of players who prove the coach wrong and show him it was a mistake not to play them often. He did extremely well today.”
