Everton have sealed a move on deadline day for German Under-21 international Merlin Röhl from Bundesliga side SC Freiburg. The player joins the Blues on loan with an obligation to buy at the end of the campaign for about £22m (€25m).
The 23-year-old Berlin-born player is a versatile midfielder who can play anywhere from central midfield to a second striker. At Freiburg he has mostly played in the #8 role in a 4-2-3-1 formation, similar to where Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has lined up for the Blues this
season.
Per the Bundesliga website, he profiles closely to Bayern Munich star Leon Goretzka – A rangy central midfielder with good feet, an eye for a pass and the opposition goal, Röhl has a similar profile to Leon Goretzka.
While the Toffees’ key need right now is for a defensive midfielder that will eventually replace Idrissa Gueye, Rohl appears to be a signing for the future. The Toffees have been following him for about a year and attempted to bring him in during the January transfer window. The Blues initiated contact late yesterday with the player then getting on a plane and arriving on Merseyside early this morning.
His breakout season came two years ago when he picked up three goals and four assists in Freiburg’s Europa League campaign, featuring in 34 games and playing over 1,800 minutes. Rohl struggled last season with ankle ligament and heel issues, missing over half the season with injuries and appearing in only 20 games for under a thousand minutes.
Speaking to the club’s media after signing his contract, Rohl said –
“I’m really excited and full of joy to sign for Everton. It’s a big club, with great history and great fans.
“It’s the right time for me to join Everton. It feels like a shifting point for the Club. The future looks really good and I’m excited to be part of it.
“I’ve watched the evolution of the Club closely. With the manager and stadium, there are a lot of positives.
“I just love to play football and can’t wait to play in front of such passionate fans in such a great stadium.”
On working with manager David Moyes, Rohl added –
“The Everton fans are passionate and demand hard work and that’s what I like as it matches what I can bring.
“I see myself as a box-to-midfielder and I feel I can bring my qualities to this team after having discussions with the manager.
“I think versatility is a strength of mine and the style of my game will suit the Premier League.”
On the new signing, Moyes said –
“We’re really pleased to bring Merlin to Everton.
“He’s a Germany Under-21 international who will add different qualities to our existing midfield options.
“He’s an exciting prospect who we’ve followed at the Club for some time, and we’re all looking forward to working with him as we continue to build a squad and team at Everton.”
