Aston Villa have joined Sheffield United and Burnley in the race to sign Marc Roca, with the Espanyol midfielder closing in on a move to the Premier League, according to Mundo Deportivo.
With a handful of days remaining until the transfer window slams shut, Villa can give themselves an almighty pat on the back.
No team in the Premier League – and we include big-spending Chelsea in this – have aced the off-season quite like Dean Smith’s men.
In Bertrand Traore, Matty Cash, Emiliano Martinez, Ross Barkley and new record signing Ollie Watkins, Villa have signed five players capable of strolling into the starting XI and representing a major upgrade on what went before.
While the excellent Douglas Luiz will have something to say about this, Roca is another player who looks a cut above the existing options at Villa Park.
Yes, he was relegated with Espanyol last term but, lest we forget, Roca was the glue that held a midfield containing Saul Niguez and Dani Caballos together as Spain won the U21 European Championships as recently as 2019.
MD reports that Aston Villa have joined Sheffield United and Burnley for a deep-lying playmaker in the Sergio Busquets mould. Espanyol want £12 million and, apparently, a move to England could be confirmed in the very near future – though it remains to be seen if he ends up in Birmingham, Lancashire or South Yorkshire.
Catalunya Radio add that Roca is training by himself as his exit edges closer.
But, so far, Aston Villa have been reluctant to pay over £9 million for a midfielder who idolises not just Busquets but Xabi Alonso too.
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