The price on Espanyol’s Marc Roca might be dropping for Bayern Munich and Real Madrid

After not being able to get Espanyol to budge off of its €40 million asking price for defensive midfielder Marc Roca, Bayern Munich allegedly walked away from its pursuit of the 22-year-old.

Now, however, Sky Sports is reporting that Espanyol is willing to drop the cost for Roca to €30 million in hopes of getting a deal done. It should be noted, though, that report indicates that a deal at this stage is “unlikely.” Sky reporter Max Bielefeld had this to say after speaking with people in Roca’s camp:

Today we talked to Marc Roca’s entourage and it says that nothing can be ruled out. They have not received any refusal from Bayern. Nevertheless, Nevertheless, Roca’s signing is “currently unlikely”.

Sky went deeper in its report to say that Espanyol is now willing to move off of its €40 million release clause:

Nevertheless, Espanyol now seems to be ready to talk to the transfer fee. First, the club had insisted on the exit clause of 40 million euros. Roca could now leave Espanyol for a transfer fee of around 30 million euros.

Both Bayern Munich and Real Madrid were said to be planning a late move for Roca before the Bavarians bailed out.

If Bayern Munich jumps back into the fray for Roca, the Spaniard would be yet another midfielder in the group that already includes Thiago Alcantara, Javi Martinez, Thomas Müller, Leon Goretzka, Corentin Tolisso, Philippe Coutinho, and Michaël Cuisance. Thiago and Martinez represent Bayern’s resident defensive midfielders.

Bayern Munich Niko Kovac also used Joshua Kimmich in a midfield role last weekend against Schalke 04, which adds further depth to the unit.

BFW Analysis

With just days remaining in the transfer window, a move for Roca is still possible and seemingly within Bayern Munich’s budget. In some circles, there is a loud clamor to procure a true “6” in Bavaria, but the roster logistics might be an issue given the glut of talent already in the midfield.

If the report is true, it could be a sign that Espanyol is looking to make a quick buck on Roca. With his contract running through 2022, it would appear that the Spanish club should be in no rush to unload a solid talent like Roca at what could be considered a bargain price when his value could easily double over the next two years.

Given the sudden nature of the Espanyol’s alleged change in plans, perhaps Bayern Munich should approach any discussions a bit wary of why exactly the La Liga side had such a sudden change of heart. Maybe Roca really wants a move to Bayern Munich and will be a headache during the season for Espanyol or maybe there is more to the story. Either way, it is at least worth having the discussion if Bayern Munich feels it needs another option at the “6”.