Everton complete Merlin Rohl transfer as terms of loan deal explained

Everton complete Merlin Rohl transfer as terms of loan deal explained

The 23-year-old has become David Moyes' ninth signing of the summer

Rohl has joined Everton on a loan deal with an opbligation to buy (Photo by Charlotte Wilson - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

Everton have completed the signing of Merlin Rohl from Freiburg.

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David Moyes had been keen to strengthen his midfield this summer but entered the final day of the transfer window without having done so. Tomas Soucek was the subject of late interest but, with a deal looking difficult, attention switched to the Germany Under-21s international. He has joined on a season-long loan with an obligation to buy, understood to be just over £18m.

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Rohl had been on the Blues’ radar for a significant period and the club decided to act upon it as the deadline approached. Moyes had wanted another option in the middle for some time and the nervy finale to the win at Wolves on Saturday intensified his belief one was necessary, with Everton losing control after Idrissa Gueye was withdrawn for the final 15 minutes.

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The departure of Abdoulaye Doucoure had left the Blues boss heavily reliant on the Senegal international, who is about to turn 36 and is expected to miss weeks of this campaign while on international duty during the Africa Cup of Nations. Tim Iroegbunam started the first two matches of the season with James Garner pulled out of position to cover Everton’s issues at left back.

The club turned to Rohl as a solution. The 23-year-old can play across the central midfield roles and, at 6ft 3”, will provide Moyes with a physical presence in the middle. Rohl has played almost 50 Bundesliga games across the past three seasons for Freiburg and was a second half substitute for Germany in the final of the U21s Euros in the summer, which they lost to England.

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Upon completion of the deal, 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. 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.”

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On his ninth summer 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.”

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