Arsenal could sign Spanish midfielder for less than £35m

Arsenal could reportedly sign Marc Roca for a reduced fee, should Espanyol get relegated from the Spanish La Liga this season.

The midfielder was offered to the Gunners last summer but they opted to decline his services to sign Daniel Ceballos on loan from Real Madrid.

Ceballos has been a decent signing for the Gunners with 23 appearances this term but it appears that the club won't make an attempt to land him on a permanent deal.

According to Sport, the north London side have revived their interest in Roca and they have already made initial contact with Espanyol through the player's agent.

Espanyol are said to demand around £35m for the Spaniard but the Gunners are aiming to pursue him for a lesser value, particularly with the La Liga side facing the genuine prospect of relegation.

The club are currently six points adrift of safety and it appears likely that they will drop to the second tier, barring a surprise turnaround when the season restarts after the suspension due to the COVID-19 threat.