During the summer, Real Betis signed Marc Roca on a season-long loan deal from Leeds United, following the English side’s relegation from the Premier League. Since arriving in Andalusia, the former Espanyol and Bayern Munich midfielder has impressed club bosses, showing his quality and versatility, having filled in at centre-back on occasion.
Betis’ deal with Leeds did not include a buy option, meaning that they will need to open talks in order to sign Roca on a permanent basis. As per Estadio Deportivo, they have done just that with negotiations currently underway, as they look to secure the 26-year-old’s long-term future at the club before the winter transfer window.
Betis are hoping to sign Roca for a reduced fee by including a sell-on clause for Leeds to hold on to, so that they would receive further funds in the event that he is sold on in the future.
Roca isn’t the only Leeds-contracted player that Betis are interested in, with ED also stating that Junior Firpo, formerly of Barcelona, is on their shortlist for left-back. With Juan Miranda highly anticipated to leave the club for AC Milan, and Abner Vinicius having been underwhelming since arriving last January, Firpo has emerged as a possible option.
It remains to be seen whether Real Betis can get either deal over the line in January. Signing Roca on a permanent basis would be an excellent piece of business, while Firpo would be solid enough replacement for Miranda, although Atletico Madrid’s Javi Galan is said to be the club’s first-choice option in that regard.
