Everton have completed the signing of Merlin Röhl on loan from Freiburg.
After failing to tempt Tomas Soucek away from West Ham Utd, David Moyes and the recruitment team have been able to secure the services of the Germany Under-21 international. He has joined on a season-long loan with an obligation to buy, understood to be just over £18M.
Despite confident rumours for much of the day claiming this was a ‘done deal’, confirmation was not forthcoming until more than an hour after the transfer window had closed on Deadline Day. But the news that Harrison Armstrong had been allowed to leave on loan was taken as a signal that this deal was going to happen.
Röhl had reportedly been on the Blues’ radar for a significant period and the club decided to act upon it as the deadline approached. Moyes had wanted more players to choose from in the middle for some time and the nervy finale to the game at Wolves on Saturday convinced him something was needed, with Everton looking a lot less coherent after Idrissa Gana Gueye was substituted with 15 minutes still to go for Everton to hang on and secure an important win.
While he has played in an attacking role, he is likely to be used in a deeper position by David Moyes, who will want to utilise the German youth international’s physicality and ability to carry the ball.
Upon completion of the deal, Röhl 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-box 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 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.”
Merlin Röhl will wear the No 34 shirt.