Olympiacos announces €5m-plus signing of Spanish winger Joel Roca from Girona
The Greek club paid over €5 million to Girona for the 21-year-old left winger, who signed a four-year contract with an option for a further season.
The transfer
Olympiacos completed the signing of 21-year-old Spanish winger Joel Roca from La Liga side Girona on Saturday morning (18 July), confirming the deal after the player had already signed a four-year contract with an option for a 12-month extension the previous Thursday. The transfer fee exceeds €5 million, with the package also including up to €1.5 million in performance-related bonuses and a 15% sell-on clause in favour of the Spanish club.
Roca passed his medical examination upon arrival in Greece and was immediately integrated into the squad’s pre-season preparations. He becomes the eighth summer arrival at the Piraeus club under coach José Luis Mendilibar.
A coveted talent
Standing 1.76m tall and operating primarily on the left flank, the Catalan attacker had attracted interest from several La Liga clubs, including Osasuna, Celta Vigo and Rayo Vallecano. Despite those approaches, Roca made it clear to Girona that he wanted to join Olympiacos, closing the door on competing proposals and forcing the two clubs to finalise terms after weeks of negotiation.
His youth and one-on-one ability convinced the Greek side to treat the deal as a long-term investment with significant resale potential.
Mendilibar’s priority
For Mendilibar, the pursuit of Roca was the leading objective in the summer window. The Basque coach identified the winger as his top target to add pace, quality and freshness to the attacking line, and the club delivered the signing after sustained talks with Girona.
The club stoked fan excitement hours before the official announcement by posting a teaser on social media. The image showed a player holding an Olympiacos scarf next to a Spanish flag and an hourglass emoji, signalling that the deal was imminent.
- Roca signs a four-year contract with an option for a further season, subject to medical clearance.
- Olympiacos posts a social media image of a player with the club scarf, a Spanish flag and an hourglass emoji.
- The club formally confirms the signing of Joel Roca from Girona in a deal worth over €5 million.
Roca’s integration began immediately as Olympiacos look ahead to the new season, with the young Spaniard expected to compete for a starting role on the left wing.
