Real Madrid have reportedly turned down an opportunity to sign Spanish midfielder Marc Roca who is intent on leaving Bayern Munich.
According to a report from El Nacional, Real Madrid have been offered a chance to sign Bayern Munich’s 25-year-old defensive midfielder Marc Roca in the January transfer window but have rejected the opportunity.
A product of the Espanyol youth academy, Roca made a name for himself in La Liga, as he made over 100 appearances in the Spanish top-flight for the Catalan club before securing a move away to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2020. However, his transfer to Bavaria has failed to go according to plans.
Indeed, Roca has struggled to get any sort of meaningful game-time with the German record champions. To date, he has made just 12 appearances across all competitions for Die Roten, with only one of those coming in the ongoing campaign under new manager Julian Nagelsmann.
Given his situation, the 25-year-old midfielder is keen on securing an exit from the Allianz Arena at the earliest possible opportunity. This has led to his agent offering Roca’s services to clubs across Europe. The Spaniard had been presented to La Liga heavyweights Barcelona not long ago and now has also been proposed to Real Madrid.
Los Blancos are on the lookout for reinforcements in the middle of the park, although not immediately. Nonetheless, it is no secret that Real Madrid are looking to add some fresh faces to their midfield department to replace the ageing Luka Modric while finding a proper cover for Casemiro in the holding midfield position.
Roca, to that end, could have been a handy addition for the Spanish capital club as he has age on his side and is well-versed with the rigours of Spanish football. However, the report states that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has decided to reject the chance to sign the former Espanyol man, who had, in the past, turned down overtures from the Merengues.
Instead, it seems like Roca could end up moving to Italy, where Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma are keen on signing him in the upcoming transfer window. As for Real Madrid, they might wait till the summer to make signings in the midfield department, with several names on the club’s agenda, including AS Monaco prodigy Aurelien Tchouameni.