Leeds United loanee primed to extend stay as contract clause revealed but club baulk at purchase price

The 27-year-old reportedly has an option in his initial season-long loan deal that permits Real Betis to extend Roca's stay at Estadio Benito Villamarin automatically and at no additional cost, should Leeds fail to be promoted this season.

Roca departed Elland Road last summer after one season in West Yorkshire but remains contracted to the club until 2026. The player has previously disclosed his preference to remain in LaLiga and his best chance of doing so appears to be if Leeds do not go up.

According to ABC Sevilla, Los Verdiblancos chiefs do not believe the purchase option in Roca's loan deal, which is believed to be around the £10 million mark, represents value for money in the current transfer climate and are reluctant to part with that sum if Leeds are promoted and Roca's loan extension clause is voided. That particular scenario would leave the former Spanish youth international with something of a quandary as Leeds manager Daniel Farke is unlikely to welcome the player back to Elland Road with open arms given he will not have played a part in the club's Championship campaign.

The defensive midfielder has played 35 times across all competitions for Real Betis this season, scoring on four occasions but has been out of the side recently and not featured in the league since March. There are five matches remaining in Spain's top flight with Los Beticos on the cusp of qualifying for the UEFA Europa Conference League next term, should they finish in sixth place.

Despite the promotion contingency impacting Roca's purported loan extension, even in the event of promotion it may be agreed between the two clubs that Roca remains in Seville for another year anyway.

Betis may also test Leeds' financial resolve if they are not promoted, however, with a permanent bid below the purchase price set out in Roca's initial loan deal. The club would be more likely to accept given the financial constraints they would find themselves under during a second Championship campaign. Additionally, the Whites may seek to avoid a scenario where Roca is left with 12 months remaining on his Elland Road deal at the end of the 2024/25 season, which would be the last opportunity for Leeds to avoid making a loss on the player signed for approximately £10 million from Bayern Munich two summers ago.