Bayern Munich Alumni: Details emerge on Marc Roca’s transfer-bonuses with Leeds United

Bayern Munich and Leeds United announced on June 17th that they had reached an agreement over the transfer of Marc Roca, for a base fee of €12m with the possibility for additional bonus payments. Per a report from Bild, as captured by @iMiaSanMia, these bonuses are wholly appearance-based, with the Bavarians standing to earn €1.25m for every 25 competitive appearances the Spaniard makes, up to a maximum of €5m.

Should Roca become a regular player for Leeds, it’s not inconceivable that the maximum bonus amount could be met in just a couple of years. Between the 38-match EPL season, FA Cup, and Carabao Cup, Leeds competed in 42 matches last season, though they exited both cup competitions relatively early (third and fourth rounds, respectively).

All in all, it seems like a fairly respectable return for the 25-year old midfielder, having transferred to Bayern Munich in 2020 for a fee of just 9m. With a current market value of €7m per Transfermarkt, not only were the Bavarians able to sell him for above his current valuation, but may even stand to turn a bit of a profit on the deal, even when you consider Roca’s wages paid out over the past two seasons.

Unfortunately for Roca, it just never seemed like the timing was right for him at Bayern Munich. Some will recall that after missing out on the transfer of Rodri in 2019 (who had signed with Manchester City), Bayern were said to have turned their sights on the then €30m-rated Roca as their next-best option, and a number of fans had hoped that the club would trigger his €40m release clause to secure his signing that summer. Of course, that did not come to pass and he ended up signing for less than a quarter of that amount the following year.

In whatever case, whether it was due to having a number of well-established midfielders in the pecking order ahead of him (Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka, Marcel Sabitzer, Corentin Tolisso) or because he was seemingly not particularly well-rated by either one of Hansi Flick or Julian Nagelsmann, Roca never really found his footing at Bayern, playing only 974 minutes over two seasons for the Bavarians.

Ever a consummate professional, Bayern fans and bosses alike will be hoping that he’s able to secure a much more regular role at his next club — not just for potential bonus payments, but because he sure seems to deserve a chance to prove himself.

Best wishes, Marc!