Bayern Munich are set to rival Liverpool, Tottenham and a host of other clubs in the summer pursuit of Las Palmas midfielder Roque Mesa.
Spanish publication Marca have reported that a host of top European clubs are showing interest in Las Palmas star Roque Mesa. The midfielder is reportedly a summer target for the likes of Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Tottenham, Everton, Sevilla and a few more La Liga clubs.
Roque Mesa has been with UD Las Palmas for a over 6 years now, having joined from CD Tenerife in July, 2010 on a free transfer. And, in his long career with Las Palmas, he has become an indelible part of the football club’s first-team setup.
This season, though, as Las Palmas have raised eyebrows with their performances in La Liga, so has Roque Mesa. The player’s ability to play the holding midfield role has been hugely influential, which can be mapped by the fact that the club has managed only 1 point in the 3 La Liga matches that the 27-year-old has not featured.
The return of 1 goal and 3 assists in 24 La Liga appearances are not as appealing but is decent, given Mesa’s main job is of a holding midfielder, the enforcer in the midfield. And, his displays have caught the attention of a host of clubs, with Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Tottenham among the most prominent of names.
Arsenal and Leicester City were also linked with the player before the January transfer window. But, the duo have since not been mentioned in the same breath as the player.
However, Sevilla has come out as a prominent name as well, with the club being the only one to table an offer to Las Palmas for the player, an €8 million bid that was swiftly rejected. The report states that an agreement was reached but Las Palmas president then backtracked on the transfer.
Bayern are interested in Las Palmas midfielder Roque Mesa (27) [Marca] pic.twitter.com/7KY00t51gl
— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) March 13, 2017
Xabi Alonso has announced that he is set to retire at the end of the season and Bayern Munich are keen to find a successor for the illustrious Spaniard come summer. Carlo Ancelotti is looking at Mesa as a potential successor to Alonso and could swoop in for the player in the summer.
Liverpool have lacked defensive stability and the addition of a holding midfielder of Mesa’s talent could provide some steel to the back, with the 27-year-old acting as the gatekeeper to the back four. Also, Emre Can has been linked with an exit, which could free up space in the squad.
Tottenham already have a magnificent young core of players, especially in the midfield and attacking areas, which is heavily stacked. But, in the holding midfield role, Tottenham only have Vincent Wanyama and perhaps the versatile Eric Dier as the options, with Moussa Dembele acting more as a box-to-box player.
Although, Harry Winks has emerged as a potential first-team regular in recent times and could be the solution to add some depth in the holding midfield ranks.
Roque Mesa has a €30 million buyout clause in his contract, which runs till 2020. But, the club is reportedly ready to do business around the €10 million mark, an amount which may pique the interest of the aforementioned clubs even further.
Mesa is a well-established talent and, with the player possibly being available for a sum as paltry as €10 million, it could spark up a feisty transfer battle between the clubs for the industrious midfielder in the summer transfer window.
