Everton have confirmed the permanent signing of midfielder Merlin Röhl from Freiburg, in a deal reported at around £18m, with German outlets putting the wider package closer to €25m once the loan fee already paid to Freiburg last year is included. Röhl has signed a new contract at Goodison Park running to June 2029.
This was not a fresh negotiation. Röhl joined Everton on loan on transfer deadline day in September 2025, and that agreement contained an obligation to buy him permanently if Everton avoided relegation from the Premier League. Everton's survival was confirmed before the end of the season, which automatically triggered the clause and turned the loan into a permanent deal this summer.
The interest in Röhl in the first place was straightforward enough. He is a tall, rangy central midfielder with good feet and an eye for a forward pass, and he arrived with a growing reputation in Germany. He is a regular for the German Under-21s, with 13 caps and three goals, including a goal in the 2025 European Under-21 Championship quarter-final win over Italy. David Moyes has spoken of using him centrally or tucked in off the sides of midfield, valuing his physical presence and ability to carry the ball through midfield.
For Freiburg, it is the end of a development story that began in 2022, when they signed Röhl from Ingolstadt for a reported €2.9m. He worked his way into their Bundesliga side during the 2023-24 season, picked up his first senior goal and a couple of assists, and went on to make 48 Bundesliga appearances for the club before his move to England. Losing him permanently costs Freiburg a player they had shaped from the second tier into a full Bundesliga contributor and Germany Under-21 international.
His first season in England did not go entirely to plan. Injury setbacks disrupted his loan spell, and by the time it ended Röhl had made 12 Premier League appearances but started only twice, totalling around 375 minutes of Premier League football. Moyes suggested in January there was more to come from him, though he did not get a consistent run in the side to prove it.
With the move now permanent and a contract through to 2029, the challenge for Röhl is to turn his physical tools and passing range into regular minutes. Everton's midfield picture will become clearer once pre-season begins, but Röhl arrives with the versatility to play through the middle or in a wider role if Moyes needs cover there, giving the club a young, developing option for the seasons ahead.