Anthony Onifade

Sat 1 July 2023 16:40, UK

Social media footage has shown Leeds United midfielder Marc Roca training hard ahead of a potential move to Real Betis and that may leave fans baffled after his Elland Road failure.

It’s believed the Whites have approved the 26-year-old’s departure and that Roca will spend the 2023/24 season on loan at Manuel Pellegrini’s side (Mundo Deportivo, 12 June) – seeing him return to Spain after three years away.

Spanish outlet Eldiario Deportes reported on 22 June that a deal to take Roca back to his homeland is now very advanced with journalist Pedro J. Gonzalez tweeting (30 June) that his move to Real Betis is now close to being completed.

He wrote: “Marc Roca continues to crush himself in a training centre in Castelldefels (Barcelona) to reach the best level in the preseason. The Leeds midfielder, whose transfer to Real Betis is very close to being completed, is in a spectacular physical state”

And in a new footage, posted to Roca’s official Instagram, the Spaniard shows himself running drills as he gets set for pre-season, which may well begin at Betis in the coming days.

However, such footage may well leave some Leeds United fans bemused after his treacherous campaign in England.

Despite the obstacles in Roca’s departure to Betis this summer, his Elland Road exit was almost guaranteed given the position Leeds United find themselves in and his desire to play at the top level.

Roca emerged as a very good outlet on the ball for Leeds United this season, giving them the foundation to build out from deep areas, but simply struggled with the testing physicality of the English top-flight, especially after the injury to Tyler Adams.

So where was this desire to get fit and firing for a challenging Premier League campaign last season? The Spaniard upon his move to Elland Road could almost be seen thinking that he will have had his own way in the division last year, but certainly could not live with the intensity and physicality barely a few months into his spell as a Leeds United player.

He will also have been disappointed to lose his place in the starting XI following the January arrival of fellow midfielder Weston McKennie with the Juventus man certainly pulling his weight when called upon and is known for his swash-buckling nature.

The same can’t be said for Roca and this new footage will be leaving plenty of the Elland Road faithful raging because the fight and intensity he shows in that footage could well have gotten the Whites over the line in their Premier League relegation battle, but the Spaniard – and he isn’t the only one – simply just gave up when the going got tough.

A move to Real Betis seems the ideal step for him as Leeds United plan for life without him and La Liga’s technical and possession-based approach may suit him down to the ground.

Nonetheless, it’s certainly good riddance if they can get a reasonable sum for his services in the end, but a loan move away looks the more likely with the two clubs now being able to agree on his exit.

Roca simply did not do enough to aid the Leeds United quest for Premier League safety and the Elland Road fans will be glad to see the back of him, even if it is temporary.

In other Leeds United news, the club are set to react to an impending Elland Road exodus with “ambitious” incoming transfer plans.