Real Betis have negotiated Leeds United down from their initial €12m asking price to less than €5m to sign midfielder Marc Roca on a permanent basis.
That’s according to Estadio Deportivo, relaying information from elsewhere in Spain, who say the two sides have now reached an agreement and the midfielder will be making a permanent move to Seville.
The newspaper reports that Betis are finalising the signing of the Catalan midfielder, who spent last season with them on loan from Leeds.
Betis had the option of extending Roca’s loan deal for a second season but wanted the midfielder permanently, but rather than using the €12m purchase option agreed last summer, decided to negotiate it down.
Leeds originally dropped that to €8m but instead have ended up agreeing to a deal worth less than €5m. That’s seen as a particularly good deal by those in charge at Betis as Roca is valued at around €9m.
The Spanish side managed to use Roca’s desire to return to the club to their advantage in negotiations and work Leeds downwards from there.
Nothing has been signed as yet but a deal is now in the final stages and the long negotiations between the two sides are finally in the final stretch.
