According to Eldesmarque, Real Betis has spoken with Marc Roca’s agent in hopes of signing him for £12 million in the summer if Leeds United’s promotion bid fails.
On January 15, the Spanish news agency stated that if Leeds fails to achieve promotion to the Premier League, Betis will have the option of extending the loan for another year or activating a cheaper £12 million permanent agreement.
It is also believed that Betis is not in a rush to complete the agreement, despite Roca’s desire to stay at the club beyond this season.
The transfer now appears inevitable.
According to reports, elevation to the Premier League would require Betis to negotiate with Leeds over Roca rather than having a clause available, making the move more difficult to complete.
Having spent the first half of the season on loan at Betis after departing Elland Road following the club’s relegation, it appears that he will stay in Spain beyond the end of his current contract.
The Spanish club is hoping Leeds do not win promotion this season since it would make the agreement more difficult to complete financially, and if the Yorkshire club remains in the Championship, they will have various alternatives to extend the midfielder’s stay.
However, even if Leeds get promoted, it appears unlikely that Roca will be prepared to return to Elland Road, thus it may be in the best interests of all parties concerned to reach an agreement on his move regardless of Leeds’ fate in May.
