German football expert reveals Marlin Rohl’s best position at Everton amid ‘big risk’ verdict
Everton completed the signing of German midfielder Merlin Rohl on transfer deadline day.
The 23-year-old underwent a last-minute medical after Everton agreed a £21.6million loan with obligation deal to sign Rohl from SC Freiburg.
The German marked the end of a busy summer at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, in which nine new players arrived to bolster David Moyes’ options.
Everton have taken a risk by not signing another defender; however, with the Scot’s calls for a reinforcement at the back ultimately going unanswered.
Rohl’s arrival left the door open for an exit, with Harrison Armstrong leaving Everton to join Preston North End on loan on Monday.
Merlin Rohl could provide alternative option to Kiernan Dewbsury-Hall
Everton signed Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from Chelsea earlier in the summer, with the midfielder impressing so far at the head of Moyes’ midfield.
German football expert Constantin Eckner told BBC Sounds on Tuesday 2 September that Rohl has likely been brought in to challenge the former Leicester City man.
“He is technically gifted, he’s a great attacking midfielder,” the journalist explained.
“But is he really a number 10? Not quite, but he’s also too tall, basically, and not agile enough, to be a winger.
| Merlin Rohl – Position | Appearances – 2023/24 |
| Central midfield | 13 |
| Attacking midfield | 7 |
| Second striker | 6 |
| Right wing | 5 |
| Left wing | 2 |
“So I can see, especially given that Everton play a 4-2-3-1 often, I can see him being the number 10 but then actually being the number 10, not being the type of player who delivers the key passes and the final passes, but also someone who can make a run into the box and be a secondary option when a cross pass comes in.”
Rohl has played in several positions throughout his career, featuring as advanced as behind the striker, or at the base of the midfield in a double pivot.
Dewsbury-Hall has played a more box-to-box role so far for Moyes, but the German would likely be asked to provide a more attacking form of the position.
Merlin Rohl taking a ‘big risk’ by moving to Everton
Rohl is yet to make an appearance for the Germany national team, but did feature at the Under-21 Euros for the youth side.
Eckner believes the midfielder is risking his future involvement in the first team by moving to the Premier League at this stage of his career, citing examples of Kevin Schade and Brajan Gruda.
The latter completed a big-money move to Brighton last summer but struggled for minutes, although he has started this season well with two goals and an assist in just four appearances.
“There is a bit of a risk you take going from the Bundesliga, also a mid-table team, to Everton or to a Brighton or Brentford or whoever,” Eckner said.
- Rohl started his career at Babelsberg before moving to Ingolstadt in 2018.
- Freiburg signed the midfielder in 2022, for around £2.5m.
- His three seasons at the club have been littered with injuries, Rohl making just 60 appearances for Freiburg and scoring three goals.
- Rohl has made 13 appearances for Germany U-21, scoring three goals.
“Taking that step, going to another league, playing a different league, especially with a different kind of intensity and also signing now, when the season is already going on, actually getting comfortable very quickly – I don’t know if it will work out, it’s a big risk for him especially.”
Everton will hope the switch has the opposite effect on Rohl, prompting the midfielder to take to his new surroundings and progress into the talented player many in Germany believe he can be.
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