The next few weeks are going to witness a tremendous amount of transfer speculation as the winter transfer window opens at the start of January. Bayern Munich is expected to be quiet in terms of new arrivals, but there will be definitely few departures during the winter window.
Marc Roca is likely to be one of the key departures for Die Roten in January. The Spanish midfielder is yet to start a game for Rekordmeister this season, while opportunities from the bench have also been scarce. When the entire squad is fit and available, Roca has been left out of the matchday squad.
Nagelsmann has previously admitted that Roca and Mickael Cuisance need to work harder in training to force their way into the team. It does look like the Spaniard’s chances of fulfilling his potential are getting slimmer with each passing day.
According to Sport1’s Florian Plettenberg (via iMiaSanMia), Bayern is looking to get close to €5 million for Roca in January. The German journalist insists that Roca is settled at Die Roten, but he has not done enough to merit more playing time.
Marc Roca is very likely to leave FC Bayern, possibly in January. Some Bundesliga teams have inquired about the Spaniard. Bayern want around €5m. Roca is well integrated in the team, however his quality was simply not good enough for FCB [Podcast Meine Bayern-Woche, @Plettigoal] pic.twitter.com/y5aIgriQiz
— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) November 5, 2021
Roca arrived in Bavaria in the final week of the transfer window in 2020. It was a difficult debut campaign for the Spaniard as he couldn’t get consistent playing time under Hansi Flick. The Spanish midfielder worked hard during the summer to become physically robust for the Bundesliga, but a serious injury at the start of pre-season scuppered his plans to impress Julian Nagelsmann.
Nagelsmann reportedly wanted Roca at RB Leipzig, so there was some hope for Roca to get more chances under him at Die Roten. However, the German coach has preferred other midfield options over him. Moreover, the arrival of Marcel Sabitzer from Leipzig further increased competition in the center of the park.
The competition in the center of the park at Die Roten is immense. Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka are probably the best midfielders in Germany, while Corentin Tolisso is also a quality midfielder when he is fit. Sabitzer further added depth in this position, making it difficult for Roca to get adequate playing time.
Die Roten does need to trim the squad to bring in new faces and offset the financial commitment made for new contract renewals of key players in the squad. Marc Roca is likely to be one of few players that could help in balancing books at Bayern by sealing permanent transfers in January.