Marc Roca hits ‘remarkable’ milestone on loan to put Leeds United spell to shame
Marc Roca managed the “remarkable” achievement of matching his Leeds United goals and assists total from last season already while out on loan, according to AS.
The Spanish paper reported via their website on 23 October that the Whites midfielder is on an “upward trend” back in La Liga, and noted the major increase in productivity since heading out of Elland Road this summer.
The former Bayern Munich man scored just once and assisted twice in the Premier League last term across 36 appearances, but has netted twice and assisted another in just 12 outings already this season.
Roca has a €12million [£10.4m] permanent option in his loan deal, and while his comments since moving there have been deemed to have made clear his intentioned to stay [TEAMtalk, 2 October] there are doubts over whether Betis could afford it [Leeds Live, 18 October].
Comfortable
It seems pretty evident that Roca is at his best in his homeland, having struggled in the Premier League and only featured sparingly in the Bundesliga, but thrived for Espanyol previously and now improved again with Betis.
All things being equal it seems highly likely that both clubs would like to do a permanent deal at the end of the season.
Of all the recruits last season who ultimately didn’t pan out the 26-year-old was at least quite modestly priced, but with finances deemed tricky at the Benito Villamarín Stadium it might not be entirely straight forward all the same.
Three goals and assists is hardly an overwhelming return, but recording that number in a third of the time he did at Leeds United, during a season where he is generally viewed more favourably than he was a year ago, makes him one of the more successful of the Whites loanees.
It remains to be seen whether he will convince Betis to spend on him, or whether Leeds might be open to to renegotiating the terms to facilitate a move.
But after Roca receiving a call-up to the Spain squad, and with the revamped midfield unit at Elland Road looking fine without him it seems to be in everyone’s best interests to find a way to reach a permanent agreement.
In other Leeds United news, Phil Hay reports that the club have held recent discussions aiming to secure contract extensions for two figures they are very impressed with.