Premier League: Leeds United sign Marc Roca from Bayern Munich
Jun 18, 2022
London [UK], June 18 : Premier League club Leeds United on Friday announced Marc Roca will join the club on July 1 after an agreement was reached with Bundesliga champions FC Bayern Munich.
The 25-year-old will join on a four-year contract running until the summer of 2026, for an undisclosed fee.
Born in Spain, the defensive midfielder began his career with RCD Espanyol, breaking through from the youth system into the first team at the RCDE Stadium.
Winning caps for Spain at Under-19 and Under-21 level, he starred for the latter, helping his country win the 2019 European Football Championship.
He netted a goal in the semi-final against France and played 90 minutes in the 2-1 final victory over Germany, as did his new Leeds United teammate Junior Firpo.
At club level, Roca made his debut for Espanyol in August 2016 in the 2-2 La Liga draw with Malaga CF.
He went on to establish himself in the side, making a further 25 appearances in all competitions during the rest of the campaign.
After catching the eye over the next three seasons and making a total of 121 outings for Espanyol, Roca was signed by Bayern Munich on a five-year-deal in October 2020.
During his time in Germany, Bayern won the Bundesliga twice and the FIFA Club World Cup.
Roca shared his thoughts about why he joined the club. He said: "It's a new experience and a new challenge for me. Leeds United gave me the chance and the opportunity. I will give everything and give my best."
"My first steps were in Spain, then I played in Germany, now it is time to join Leeds and play here in the Premier League. Everyone told me the Premier League is the best league in the world and the history of Leeds United is amazing, I hope we can do good things here," he added.
He becomes the latest arrival who will join the Whites at the start of next month, following the announcements of deals for Rasmus Kristensen and Brenden Aaronson.
