Leeds United have already completed their fist two signings of the summer, as Rasmus Kristensen joined Brenden Aaronson in making the move from RB Salzburg to Elland Road yesterday. The work is not over for Victor Orta though, as it has emerged that Marc Roca is the number one target to improve Jesse Marsch's midfield options.
The former Spanish Under 21 international is currently plying his trade with German champions, Bayern Munich but has had limited game-time since making the move to Bavaria. Before that, he starred in midfield for Espanyol, playing over 100 games in La Liga.
The midfielder is thought to be being targeted in order to give Leeds reinforcements in the midfield area, rather than to replace Kalvin Phillips, who is attracting interest from Manchester City and Liverpool. However, many will be wondering what his role would be in the team. LeedsLive has the low-down.
Read more: The commitment to compete that will serve Leeds United-linked Marc Roca well at Elland Road
Partnering Phillips in a midfield two
Under Marcelo Bielsa, Phillips primarily played as the lone defensive midfielder, roaming from one side of the field to the other in possession and looking to receive the ball from the back in build-up. With Marsch installed as head coach, Leeds more often play with two deeper midfielders. Although both players in the two should be able to contribute both on the ball and in possession, one is more likely to be a stronger ball winner and the other a stronger passer.
With Roca as an option, Leeds could have Phillips as the strong ball-winner - as whilst much is made of his long distance passing, it is his defensive work which is outstanding - and Roca as the more progressive player in the two. The 25-year-old is a top ball progressor and was known as one of the outstanding young deep-lying playmakers during his time in Spain. According to fbref, his 5.67 progressive passes per 90 (those which move the ball 10m or more towards the opposing goal) rank him in the 87th percentile for midfielders in Europe. For reference, Phillips ranks in the 55th percentile for the same metric.
Can he play as the deepest midfielder on his own?
Roca has often played in a two man midfield, making him a good fit for Marsch's preferred 4-2-2-2 or 4-2-3-1 but if Leeds lined up in more of a 4-3-3 and Phillips was injured, the Spaniard could be tasked with taking on the role that Phillips has often played on his own. In terms of the in-possession play, Roca would certainly be comfortable with this.
He keeps on the move when his team has the ball, in order to always make himself an easy option to receive the ball to play forwards. Notably, when he does so, he prefers to play passes into the centre rather than wide, which will work better in Marsch's narrow style.
However, there are more issues when it comes to covering a lot of ground as a lone defensive midfielder. Whilst Roca is nimble on his feet in small spaces and can turn smoothly with the ball, he is not a particularly powerful runner, nor does he have a lot of natural intensity to his game out of possession. In that case, he could struggle with the defensive side of playing as the lone deepest midfielder.
Would he make the move to the Premier League comfortably?
After Junior Firpo struggled to adapt to the Premier League, having been a bit-part player at an elite club, fans will rightly be a little nervous about the potential for a move like this to go wrong. These types of deals certainly carry an element of risk and Roca will be no different, being that he has only played 15 league fixtures in the last two seasons.
However, he did play over 100 times in La Liga for Espanyol and was hailed by many as one of the best young deep-lying midfielders in Europe. There is certainly talent there that Leeds will hope to bring back to the surface.
The issues around struggling to cover ground quickly could be more important, given that the Premier League is a high-tempo league and Leeds play a brand of football which sees a lot of transitional moments. Should Roca join, he would likely flourish most alongside Phillips or another player who is extremely active as a defender. It is fair to say this transfer would be another gamble from Orta. Leeds will be hoping that this is a gamble that sees them win big.
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