Marc Roca optimistic about future at Bayern Munich

It was a very successful end to 2021 for Bayern Munich as they delivered two convincing performances against VfB Stuttgart and Wolfsburg before the winter break. The Bavarian club ended Hinrunde at the top of the Bundesliga with a lead of nine points.

Marc Roca was one of the key players for Rekordmeister during the two emphatic victories at the end of Hinrunde. The Spanish midfielder was drafted into the starting lineup after injuries to Corentin Tolisso and Leon Goretzka. Joshua Kimmich was also missing the game since he was recovering from COVID.

Roca was the senior midfielder for Die Roten in the final two league games of 2021 as he was paired up with Jamal Musiala in the center of the park. The Spaniard repaid the faith of Julian Nagelsmann by delivering two good performances, making the case for consistent playing time during the second half of the season.

Marc Roca is expected to stay in Bavaria beyond the winter transfer window. While talking to Bild this week, Roca ruled out a move away from the club as he is looking forward to a positive year ahead with Die Roten.

"“When I had little prospects in October and November despite my hard training, I started to think about it. I was so eager to play. But the way I ended this year, it’s clear to me that I will stay. It would be a mistake to go now”“My personal conclusion for the season so far is very positive, because I’ve played the last four games and felt very good. I’m training hard every day and I’m happy that the fans could finally see that on the pitch. I’m really looking forward to 2022.”"

Roca was destined for a move away from Bavaria during January. The Spanish midfielder had struggled to get adequate playing time under Julian Nagelsmann as his first league start came late in December. Real Betis and Eintracht Frankfurt were linked with a move for Roca, while few reports were suggesting that his agent has offered him to Barcelona.

However, the praise from Nagelsmann and two starts in December has given Roca much-needed hope to fulfill his potential in Bavaria. The Spaniard will mostly likely assess the situation in the summer transfer window if his playing time doesn’t improve significantly by the end of the season.

From Bayern’s perspective, it makes sense to keep Marc Roca at least until the end of the transfer window. Goretzka has struggled with injuries this season, while Kimmich is just returning from COVID-19, so Nagelsmann will need depth in the midfield to compete across all competitions during the second half of the season.

The performances and opportunities for Roca during Ruckrunde will also have an impact on the summer transfer plans of Die Roten. If the Spaniard knuckles down a place in the squad, then Rekordmeister will need only one midfield addition in the summer transfer window. The next six months are very crucial for Roca in terms of his long-term future at Bayern.