Everton have reached an agreement to sign Germany U21 international Merlin Röhl from Bundesliga outfit Freiburg, as per journalist Florian Plettenberg.
The Toffees have decided to make a deadline day signing from Germany after failing to land West Ham United midfielder Tomas Soucek.
David Moyes’ side are keen to find their glory days once more, and have won two of their opening three league games to start the 2025-26 season.
Plettenberg reports that Everton have agreed to sign Röhl on an initial loan deal from Freiburg, who he joined in 2022. The deal will include an obligation to buy the 23-year-old central midfielder for £21.6 million at the end of the season.
He is already in Liverpool for his medicals and personal terms are not expected to be an issue. Therefore, all going to plan, the move should go through before the 7pm deadline later today.
Everton boss David Moyes was keen to sign another central midfielder to replace the departed Abdoulaye Doucoure after the Malian left at the end of his contract this summer.
Röhl’s physical profile and quality makes him a perfect replacement for the former Watford man, and this was what encouraged the Toffees to pursue his signature.
Big summer
Merlin Röhl endured an injury-hit season in Germany in 2024-25 and was limited to just 20 appearances across all competitions for Freiburg.
This did not prevent his inclusion in the Germany U21 squad for the Euros this summer, and he played four times as his side finished as runners-up.
Everton have put together a summer for the ages in 2025 after doing extensive business on and off the pitch. The Toffees have significantly improved the quality of their squad by making eight new signings in the transfer window.
They finished the 2024-25 season in 13th place, ending the season in the bottom half for a fourth successive campaign.
The Merseyside outfit moved from their Goodison Park home to the Hill Dickinson Stadium for the 2025-26 season, symbolizing a fresh start for the club.
They have signed Jack Grealish, Tyler Dibling, Kieran Dewsbury-Hall, Mark Travers, and Tom King from fellow English sides. They also signed Thierno Barry and Adam Aznou, and agreed a permanent deal for Carlos Alcaraz following his loan stint.
