Everton are believed to have made contact with a “very dangerous” player’s representatives, as they eye a move for him in the summer transfer window.
The Blues know the importance of a big summer, as they prepare for life in their new stadium and hopefully an exciting second spell under David Moyes.
Everton have reportedly already made contact with Feyenoord centre-back David Hancko over a switch to the club at the end of the season, amid doubts over Jarrad Branthwaite’s long-term future. The 27-year-old has averaged 3.3 clearances per game for the Dutch side this season, also completing 90.4% of his passes, outlining his all-round quality.
Hancko isn’t the only central defender being looked at by the Blues, however, with Burnley key man Maxime Esteve also seen as an option. He has played a huge role in the Clarets remarkably only conceding 12 goals in the Championship this season, and at 22, he is still early in his career.
Elsewhere, Everton have been backed to sign Liverpool winger Ben Doak this summer, which would cause plenty of controversy. The 19-year-old has been out on loan at Middlesbrough in 2024/25 and there is no guarantee that he has a long-term future at Anfield.
According to a fresh update from Kicker [via Sport Witness], Everton have contacted Merlin Rohl’s representatives over a move to Merseyside, as they look to get a summer deal over the line.
The SC Freiburg star has been linked with a move to the Blues in the past and Moyes knows him well, having come up against him four times during his spell in charge of West Ham. The 22-year-old only signed a new deal last year, but his current club are aware of the interest in him.
Rohl is a young player with plenty of long-term potential, with Christian Streich calling him a “difference-maker” and Antonio Di Salo saying of him: “He fought his way into [Freiburg’s] team. That’s not easy. He focused on defensive work and also came into his own offensively. He’s very quick and determined. He’s very dangerous.”
In truth, Rohl’s 2024/25 season hasn’t been his most productive, with only 11 starts coming his way in the Bundesliga due to injury problems, and no goals and one assist recorded.
That doesn’t change the fact that he could be a real asset for Everton, however, not least because of the versatility that he possesses in his game. The German is predominantly a central midfielder, but he can also thrive in more of an attacking midfield role, on the right wing and even as a second striker. This would immediately give Moyes more options.
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The fact that the Blues manager has seen him up close as many as four times also means he knows his qualities as a footballer well, so the positives easily outweigh the negatives when it comes to Everton signing him.
