LEEDS, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 16: Detail view of the Leeds United club badge on the corner flag prior to the Premier League match between Leeds United and Newcastle United at Elland Road on December 16, 2020 in Leeds, England.The match will be played without fans, behind closed doors as a Covid-19 precaution. (Photo by Rui Vieira - Pool/Getty Images)
Leeds United’s £10 million midfielder is unlikely to return. According to Estadio Deportivo, Leeds United midfielder Marc Roca is enjoying his loan spell at Real Betis, and the Spanish club want to make the trade permanent before the end of the season.
Roca, a highly rated player with Espanyol in La Liga, eventually won a big-money move to German powerhouse Bayern Munich, the European champions at the time, in 2020. However, after a disappointing stint at the Allianz Arena, the Spaniard sought a new pasture in the summer of 2022.
Leeds had narrowly averted relegation under Jesse Marsch the previous season and were splurging the cash in the hope of avoiding a repeat scenario ahead of the 2022/23 season. Roca was one of the club’s high-profile signings, coming from Bayern Munich for an unknown amount.
Roca’s contract with the Lilywhites had a condition that allowed him to depart on loan if the club was relegated to the Championship. Several other players, including Brenden Aaronson and Rasmus Kristensen, were also given this opportunity.
Roca was loaned out to Real Betis in Spain in mid-July of the most recent summer window, coached by Premier League-winning manager Manuel Pellegrini, and Estadio Deportivo believe that the player has settled in perfectly.
In a recent interview with Radio Sevilla [quotes via Estadio Deportivo], the 26-year-old confirmed as much:
“Right now, I’m under contract with Leeds until 2026.” It is up to the two teams to reach an agreement, but for the time being, I am at ease and content.”
Despite the fact that there is no option or obligation to buy clause in the loan agreement, Estadio has disclosed that ‘a lot of ground has been covered’ in order to complete a permanent deal in the future.
Roca’s statements show that he is content under Pellegrini at Betis and will compete in the UEFA Europa League this season.
A return to Elland Road in the next 12 months is quite unlikely unless the two clubs can agree on a cost for a permanent transfer for Roca.
