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Bayern Munich are making signings? Is this real? Is it 2020? Well, according to Sport, the Bavarians are close to signing Espanyol midfielder Marc Roca for 15m euros plus add ons. The Spaniard plays defensive midfield, and would likely be a replacement for Thiago Alcantara, who moved to Liverpool this window.
This transfer comes on the back of reports that Hansi Flick does not rate Adrian Fein, the Bayern youth who just came back from loan with Hamburger SV. Fein is also a deep-lying playmaker, but he has not made the squad so far this season. With Joshua Kimmich notching up a dangerous number of minutes, the bosses probably realized they needed someone to take the workload off.
Roca was already linked with Bayern last year, as an alternative to Manchester City’s Rodri. The player supposedly agreed terms with the Bavarians, but the move fell through due to Espanyol’s transfer demands. Now, it seems that both sides have found a much more amicable deal, that should see the Spaniard arrive at the Sabener Strasse before the transfer window closes on October 5.
Bayern fans will greet this news with jubilation, given that we’ve been begging for transfers since the season started. Now, if Roca passes his medical without a hitch, he could be a good option to either partner Joshua Kimmich or allow him to rest more often. Let’s hope things go smoothly from here on out — we do NOT need any more nasty surprises.
Update
According to Quique Iglesias, a journalist for Cadena COPE, the transfer fee is actually 13m + add ons. Roca will sign a 4-year contract. The player has permission from Espanyol to not train so he can go for his medical.
La operación alcanza los 13 millones de euros, antes de que puedan sumarse los variables. 4 años de contrato. Muy buena operación para el jugador y para el #rcde. https://t.co/n5z5PjAOvM
— Quique Iglesias (@qiglesias) October 3, 2020
Update #2
Seems like Roca is in Munich, presumably for his medical. He should be a Bayern player soon.
#Bayern did not want confirm that a deal for Roca is done. But can confirm that he is in Munich. Announcement is still outstanding, will likely be coordinated with #Espanyol. More to come on @Transfermarkt in just a moment.
— Manuel Veth (@ManuelVeth) October 3, 2020