Leeds United: New Marc Roca comments emerge amid uncertain Elland Road future | OneFootball

Leeds United are looking to move on from a lot of their current players who are out on loan, including Marc Roca, and the Spanish midfielder would like a move to get done.

The fate of the league in which Leeds are playing their football in next season is out of their hands, as things stand. But, even if they get pipped by Ipswich Town and Leicester City to the top two spots in the Championship, they will still be the favourites to win the play-offs.

Their squad is one that is worthy of winning promotion, but they will need to add pieces to it to get it up to Premier League standard, should they achieve their goal.

One of the ways that they should be able to do this is by offloading some of the many contracted players that they have who are currently out on loan.

A few of the dozen players that are temporarily away from Elland Road are scheduled to leave in the summer anyway, when their contracts with the club expire, but a lot of them are set to return to Yorkshire for pre-season.

One of them is the Spaniard, who is currently with Real Betis. The club have said that they are open to offers for him, and Roca himself said that he could return to Betis on loan again next season, should the Whites not get promoted.

Marc Roca's stance on Leeds future

In a recent interview with a local Spanish outlet, the 27-year-old revealed that he has enjoyed his time being back in his homeland, but that the decision over whether he returns to Betis in the summer, permanently, is not up to him.

"I have always said that I am happy at Betis," said the midfielder, to ABC Sevilla. "How the fans have treated me is incredible.

"Also from my teammates, from the staff… I think I’m having a very good season. That’s what I focus on. In the end it is up to my representative, the sports management, Betis, Leeds and God."

Sport Witness have said that Real have the option to buy him for €12 million (~ £10.3 million), but that they are holding off on any deal because they feel that they could bring him back again temporarily next season, instead of paying a transfer fee, if Leeds stay in the Championship.

United are reported to have paid £10 million for the midfielder in the summer of 2022, as per Sky Sports. He played in 32 games for the Whites in the 22/23 league campaign.

Leeds need to cash in on loan players

Many of the Leeds alumni who are out on loan are signings from the Jesse Marsch era. Daniel Farke has made it fairly clear that they aren't wanted by him, and, therefore, they have to try and move on from them just a year or two after signing them.

The issue is that, with Betis, and Borussia Mönchengladbach, in the case of Maximillian Wöber, these teams don't want to pay Leeds transfer fees.

This is putting the club in a bit of a difficult position, because, on the one hand, they need to have some income this summer, but, on the other hand, if they sell them for less than they bought them for, it will have a negative effect on their Profit and Sustainability standing.

It's a tricky balancing act for Leeds, but they can't afford to start next season, whether they are in the top flight or the second division, with the likes of Roca, Wöber, and others sat around the dressing room and playing no part in the team.