Everton must consider Marc Roca who is reportedly available for £10 million.
Frank Lampard is searching for a midfielder in this market. The Toffees are expected to make major reinforcements in defence and midfield to avoid a similar scenario that caused upheaval this season. Everton does have a number of targets in mind and Bayern Munich midfielder Marc Roca should be on the shortlist.
Since Idrissa Gueye left the club in 2019, the Toffees have struggled to bring in a competent, reliable and dexterous holding midfielder. The experiment with Jean-Philippe Gbamin and Fabian Delph has failed. Both the holding midfielders had injuries that ravaged their Everton careers. While Delph is confirmed to leave the club upon contract expiry, Gbamin’s future is yet to be assessed.
Allan has operated in a holding role under Carlo Ancelotti, Rafa Benitez and Lampard. His future is also uncertain with the Toffees looking to reduce their wage bill and offload high wage earners who haven’t been offering the required quality.
In the transfer market, Everton have been linked to Cheick Doucoure, RC Lens’ modern day holding midfielder who is excelling on all fronts. However, competition for Doucoure is immense with Crystal Palace reportedly agreeing on personal terms with the 22 year old. Harry Winks is another player who is on Lampard’s shortlist.
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Everton must consider Bayern Munich midfielder Marc Roca
Everton must also evaluate the profile of Bayern midfielder Roca who finds himself neglected in Julian Nagelsmann’s plans. The Spanish midfielder was signed for £8 million from Espanyol in 2020 and has had limited opportunities in Bavaria. He did have injury problems last season but when fit, he didn’t have enough chances to show his talent as he was often overlooked.
According to The Athletic, Leeds United are keen on adding Roca to their ranks as they aim to strengthen their midfield. The 25 year old is available in the region of £10 million and Bayern will complicate his exit.
This is the sort of transfer Everton must be looking at. For starters, it is an economically appealing deal. German outlet Bild state that Roca is free to leave this summer and a €9 million fee will be enough to convince Bayern. With Everton’s financial fragile situation, they have to scout the market for cheap and smart options without compromising on the quality. Signing Roca would be a testament to that.
Everton cannot blatantly spend million on a holding midfielder so there cannot be a better option than Roca. The Spaniard’s time at Bayern Munich has been dull because of lack of playing time but at Espanyol, he was one of the finest players in the team.
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Marc Roca was one of the best holding midfielders in Spain during his time at Espanyol
In 2019-20 season, Roca averaged 4.67 progressive carries and 5.67 progressive passes. Espanyol suffered relegation in 2019-20 season but Roca managed to put in fantastic individual performances. He ranked seventh in most progressive passes in the La Liga in 2019-20 and ranked 5th for most passes in the final third in the entire league. There’s no doubt that he is an efficient ball carrier and a neat passer.
Defensively too, Roca doesn’t let his team down. The player scans the area in front of him well and sits tight defensively. He won 1.83 tackles per game with Espanyol and featured in the top five of La Liga in that category. The Bayern Munich midfielder records 24.85 pressures per 90 minutes, putting him in the top seven per cent of midfielders in Europe’s big five leagues. (stats via FBref)
He should be an ideal candidate to be considered for the holding midfield role. At 25, he has ample time to develop and become a more complete player than he is today. Roca is heavily underrated and Everton shouldn’t be missing out on such an opportunity, especially for such a less financial risk.
For less than £10 million, Roca is the best option that could be available to Everton. So far there are no links to Everton but he is a glorious market opportunity that cannot be missed.
Should the Royal Blues consider Marc Roca?