According to Football Espana via Spanish outlet Fichajes.net, Real Madrid have identified Espanyol ace Marc Roca as a potential long-term successor to Casemiro.
Fichajes claim that European powerhouses Bayern Munich were close to signing the defensive midfielder last summer and now the Spaniard seems Madrid-bound.
It’s added that Los Blancos are interested in signing the 23-year-old this summer – or whenever the next transfer window opens.
It’s hinted that Espanyol’s struggles this season, which could see them relegated from La Liga, have led to Roca slipping off the radar of many European giants – it’s said that Madrid could use these factors to their advantage.
Spanish publication Sport reported last month that Premier League giants Arsenal were interested in the ace, who has a release clause of €40m.
Roca was pivotal in Espanyol’s campaign last season that ended with an impressive seventh-placed finish in La Liga, unfortunately things haven’t go nearly as smoothly this season for the side.
Espanyol are bottom of the Spanish top-flight, six points from safety, should the season resume, it would be truly remarkable if the Barcelona-based outfit managed to escape relegation.
Roca has made 24 appearances in La Liga this season. The ace could be an attractive option for Madrid as he looks to be a player that could be key for the Spain national team in the future.
Roca was part of the Spain side that won the European Under-21s Championships last summer, he has a total of seven caps at this level to his name.
Roca has made 92 La Liga appearances so far in his career, this makes him a fairly reliable target for the Bernabeu outfit, the ace also has the potential to improve into a world class player in the future.
If Espanyol are in fact relegated, due to this and the massive financial impact to clubs due to the Coronavirus pandemic, there’s a chance that Madrid could land Roca for less than his €40m clause.