According to a recent print edition of Sport (transcripted and translated by Sport Witness), Everton are facing fierce competition in the race to sign Espanyol midfield ace Marc Roca this summer. The same source has also mentioned that the Toffees will have to battle it out with Arsenal, Real Madrid and AC Milan in pursuit of the Spanish holding midfielder during the summer transfer window (via Sport Witness).
Roca’s Solid Season At Catalonia
Roca was enjoying a decent run of form at the RCDE Stadium last season after producing a string of commanding performances at the centre of Francisco Rufete’s midfield. He appeared in 44 matches for the Spanish outfit in the previous campaign, finding the back of the net twice while providing three assists in all competitions which goes to show his knack for getting involved in the final third.
The 23-year-old has shown a remarkable run of consistency at both ends of the pitch based on his average of 2.3 tackles, 0.9 interceptions, 1.4 clearances, 0.9 shots and 0.8 key passes per game in La Liga. He is also a tidy distributor of the ball as evident from his pass success rate of 81.1% in league football (stats via whoscored).
Roca has represented Spain at the Under-21 level, but is still waiting to earn his first senior cap for his country. Maybe a summer switch to Goodison Park could provide him with a more prominent platform to prove his worth next season and stake a claim in Luis Enrique’s squad for next year’s UEFA European Champions finals.
What Will The Spanish Midfielder Add To Carlo Ancelotti’s Team?
Roca is often quick to sense out the danger that enables him to make some crucial interceptions and last-ditch clearances for his side. He has a wide range of passes in his locker and is usually quite neat when interchanging possession with his teammates in midfield. The Spaniard has also got the vision to unlock a rigid defence which makes him such an important member of Rufete’s squad.
Recruiting a midfielder of Roca’s skillset will be a welcome addition to the Toffees squad ahead of the new season. He will not only add some bite and steel to Carlo Ancelotti’s midfield, but also increase competition for places within his squad.
Furthermore, Roca will keep the likes of Andre Gomes, Tom Davies, Fabian Delph and Gylfi Sigurdsson on their toes in the race to secure a regular midfield berth in Ancelotti’s first XI next season. At 23, he is yet to embark upon the prime years of his football career which means that the Merseyside club will be able to get the best out of him in the coming seasons if they can find a way to win the chase for his signature this summer.
