Arsenal leading the race to sign Marc Roca

Arsenal are leading the race to sign Spanish midfielder Marc Roca from Espanyol this summer, a report from La Razon claims.

Roca has spent his entire career with Espanyol, but he is expected to part ways following their relegation to the Spanish second tier.

He currently has a £35m release clause on his contract, but Espanyol are likely to settle for a lesser fee after their failure to beat the drop.

According to La Razon, the Gunners are leading the pursuit of the 23-year-old, who has also caught the eye of Napoli, Valencia and Bayern Munich.

The Spaniard is a left-footed midfielder and he has excelled in the defensive midfield role with an average of two tackles per game.

He is likely to be available for an initial fee of around £18m and that should suit the Gunners, who will be working on a limited budget.

Meanwhile, the Gunners' pursuit of Thomas Partey has been dealt a blow with the Ghanaian now open to signing an improved deal at Atletico.