How Merlin Rohl deal at Everton has landed transfer chief a new nickname
Merlin Rohl's first season at Everton was rather mixed, but he is now expected to play a bigger role going forward.
The midfielder joined on an initial loan from Freiburg last summer, with Everton having an obligation to buy if he played a certain number of games.
After making 20 appearances for the Toffees in 2025-26, that deal was indeed made permanent earlier this month.
Rohl went rather under the radar for much of his maiden campaign on Merseyside, but he ended the season strongly.
That includes scoring his first goal in the game with Sunderland in May, at a time he was enjoying a run of starts.
And news of Everton signing Rohl permanently from Freiburg has now led to celebrations at one of his other former clubs.
Ingolstadt continue to profit from Merlin Rohl
As covered by Goodison News, it is now down to David Moyes to correctly manage Rohl at Everton.
There is clearly a talented player in there as long as he is utilised correctly - more on that later.
Thursday's print edition of Bild reported how Ingolstadt, where Rohl started his career, profited from a sell-on clause in Rohl's Freiburg contract.
The third-tier German club are said to have landed a "lucrative" sum - relatively speaking - as part of the £21.4million transfer to Everton.
This is on the back of receiving about £2.6m from his original sale to Freiburg in 2022.
As a result of the windfall, Ingolstadt transfer chief Dietmar Beiersdorfer has landed a nickname that roughly translates to 'Money-Making Didi'.
But at Everton, there is less reason to cheer about Rohl unless Moyes changes the way he uses the 24-year-old.
Rohl patience may already be wearing thin at Everton
Rohl is effectively at Everton by default due to the nature of last term's arrangement.
Already Moyes is using Rohl out of position, including at right-back this week.
That says more about the failure to bring in a new player in that position more than anything.
But Rohl needs to be used to his strengths - consistently, too - or else Everton will never get to see what he is truly capable of.