According to El Desmarque, Marc Roca signed a loan contract with Real Betis on Friday before departing Leeds United on a two-year deal.
On Saturday (15 July), the Spanish news site announced that Roca, 26, is joining Betis on a loan deal with no option to buy.
However, it is understood that, while a permanent deal with Leeds might be discussed at some time during the loan, Betis could prolong Roca’s temporary stay for two years if the Whites fail to regain Premier League status next season.
El Desmarque claims that Real Betis are able to officially confirm the arrivals of Roca and ex-Arsenal right-back Hector Bellerin in the next 24 hours ahead of the La Liga club’s training camp at St George’s Park in Staffordshire.
Deal all but done
Roca’s exit from Leeds has dragged out due to Real Betis’ financial situation.
Although they’re only signing Roca on loan – for now – it seems that the La Liga club had to offload players in order to be able to afford the midfielder’s wages.
Roca joined Leeds from Bayern Munich last year.
He signed a four-year contract but it looks as though he could be spending potentially half of that time out on loan at Betis.
Roca knows La Liga well, doing well enough in Spain’s top tier at Espanyol to win a move to Bayern in 2020 on a five-year deal.
He didn’t last long into that deal though and doesn’t look as though he’s lasting long as a Leeds player too.
Roca’s career seems destined to be spent in Spain now.
He couldn’t cut it in Germany – albeit playing in a squad stacked with world-class talent – and then couldn’t cut it in a Premier League team that was trying to avoid relegation.
We reckon he’ll do well at Real Betis but that shouldn’t lead to fans clamouring for him to come back as he’s proven he’s no good on these shores.
Roca will join Brenden Aaronson, Robin Koch, Diego Llorente and Rasmus Kristensen in being loaned out since the end of last season while Rodrigo and Tyler Roberts have left permanently.
