Report: Arsenal have made offer for U21 European champion, reported £36m price tag

Add as preferred source on Google

Arsenal have reportedly made an offer for Marc Roca amid growing interest from AC Milan, according to Spanish outlet Sport.

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta is believed to be a keen admirer of the Espanyol defensive midfielder and, according to The Express, wants to bring him to the Emirates Stadium in the upcoming transfer window.

Roca has come through the ranks at Espanyol and has made 108 competitive senior appearances for them, but is being tipped to leave at the end of the season, with the Catalan team at the bottom of the La Liga table.

According to Sport, Arsenal have already made an offer for the 23-year-old, but negotiations won’t take place between them and Espanyol until the end of the season.

Milan are now apparently hoping to take advantage of this lull by making their move, as they seek reinforcements in midfield.

Roca is reported to have a 40 million Euro (around £36million) buyout clause on a contract which runs until the summer of 2022.

TBR View:

Multiple reports have been claiming that Arsenal won’t have much money to play around with in the summer transfer window, but at £36million, Roca could be a realistic option if the Gunners are able to make some money via player sales.

Roca is a high-calibre midfielder with excellent vision and passing range, both long and short, plus nimble footwork and quick thinking, and has been compared to Sergio Busquets and Xabi Alonso in the past, according to Football London.

He went into the 2019-20 campaign having helped Spain triumph at the 2019 Under-21 European Championship, starring at the base of the midfield alongside Dani Ceballos and Fabian Ruiz.

He would undoubtedly be an asset for Arsenal, but signing him would obviously depend on who they’re able to sell and how they choose to reinvest said money in the market, considering several positions in the squad could do with strengthening.