Marc Roca is one of the most exciting young midfielders in Europe (Getty Images)
According to La Razon (h/t The Metro), Arsenal are leading the race to sign Espanyol midfielder Marc Roca in the summer.
Roca, 23, rose through the ranks of Espanyol’s youth system and was promoted to the club’s first-team in 2016. Since then, he has made 108 appearances for the Catalans and has been impressive throughout the last two campaigns. He has established himself as one of the most exciting young prospects in Spain.
The report also suggests that Everton and AC Milan are also interested in securing the services of the dynamic youngster. Thus, the Gunners should get the deal done ahead of the others.
Mikel Arteta has done a decent job in his first season as the manager of Arsenal as they are pushing for a place in the Europa League. However, the Gunners have shown inconsistency despite the upturn in form with club captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang the only player who has contributed right from the start.
While the attacking unit has done a considerable job upfront, the defence has been shaky throughout the campaign. And the manager was forced to bring in Pablo Mari from Flamengo on loan. He has been excellent in the few games he featured.
One of the significant areas which Arteta should consider doing some tinkering work is the midfield. Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Bukayo Saka, both of whom are midfielders, have featured as full-backs for the majority of the campaign, leaving the Gunners with limited options in the central areas.
Matteo Guendouzi, Dani Ceballos, Joe Willock, Lucas Torreira and Granit Xhaka are the only players available in that position at the moment. While Willock and Guendouzi are still young and need to improve their game, Swiss international Xhaka has not been up to the mark.
Dani Ceballos, who is on loan from Real Madrid, should return to La Liga once his loan spell comes to an end in the summer. And if he leaves, Arsenal have to bring in reinforcements to add depth and quality to the squad.
In that case, Espanyol’s Marc Roca would be a suitable replacement for his compatriot as the youngster has been in fine form for his club and the Spanish U21 squad.
The 23-year-old has the ability to operate as a box-to-box midfielder and a permanent move for him could benefit the Gunners. He has also featured in 7 games for his nation’s U21 side and has got some experience at the highest level.
Arsenal need to build a team for the future and signing a young midfielder would help them at all cost as most of the squad members are young and have a huge future ahead. And Roca would be the good addition to the squad if he is able to replicate the same form he has shown so far.
