Journalist Conor McGilligan has expressed his excitement as reports suggest Bayern Munich midfielder Marc Roca is set to sign with Leeds United this summer.
The Yorkshire team are in the middle of a rebuild under manager Jesse Marsch as they look to push on after their woeful 2021/22 season where they narrowly escaped relegation on the last day of the season, finishing 17th.
While Leeds have had some of their biggest stars linked with moves away, like Kalvin Phillips to Manchester City and Raphinha to Barcelona, they have come firing out the blocks in terms of purchases, with Brenden Aaronson and Rasmus Kristensen joining from Red Bull Salzburg.
Their business seems to not be finished there, however, with the latest rumours suggesting Bayern midfielder Roca is set to join the club soon – something that journalist McGilligan is looking forward to.
He told the One Leeds Fan Channel on YouTube: “It looks like he’s going to be a Leeds player. It looks like Leeds have made their third acquisition of the summer transfer window.
“He’s very good on the ball, extremely good on the ball, extremely good when it comes to pressuring the opponent, which is kind of what we want.”
TIF Thoughts on Roca to Leeds…
Leeds need more cover in the midfield for next season, as they only have Phillips, Adam Forshaw, Mateusz Klich and Jamie Shackleton who can play in the more central and defensive roles in the engine room. Adding Roca would give them more depth, and as McGilligan stated, his passing ability could add something different to a partnership with Phillips.
The £6.3m-rated Spaniard didn’t get too many minutes for the Bavarians last season, racking up just 13 appearances across all competitions, totalling 455 minutes on the pitch. However, during this time, he didn’t play badly at all, averaging 0.9 tackles and 1.8 long balls per game with an 89.8% passing accuracy (as per WhoScored).
He also ranked in the 93rd percentile for pressures with 24.85 per 90, the 92nd for passes attempted with 70.63 and 87th for pass completion and progressive passes per game. While he hasn’t exactly set the world alight in Germany, getting the 25-year-old for a decent fee is a risk worth taking as he can still develop under Marsch.
Will Roca shine at Elland Road?Yes
No
|