Yahoo Sports Merlin Rohl: Why Liverpool just SHORTLISTED the 6ft 3 ‘complete' midfield ‘wizard’
Liverpool reportedly like Merlin Rohl from Freiberg. Here’s why the player is on their shortlist.
Liverpool have reportedly shortlist Merlin Rohl. Their interest is strong enough, in fact, that SC Freiberg have offered the 22-year-old a new contract in an effort to hold off the Reds.
There's a long way to go, of course - the transfer window isn't even open - but Liverpool are preparing for January right now. So why Merlin Rohl?
➡️ READ MORE: Arne Slot set for first real test as Liverpool head coach
Here's where the interest comes from.
Who is Merlin Rohl?
Merlin Rohl is a 22-year-old attacking midfielder for SC Freiberg. He only turned 22 in July and is embarking on his second full Bundesliga season.
Though, his professional career goes back further. Rohl started regularly for Ingolstadt in the second and third tier while a teenager - so he's got plenty of football under his belt already.
This season, he's started three Bundesliga games and looks set to reach a new high for appearances. Notably, Rohl is 6ft 3 - and described as a 'wizard' by Bundesliga.com.
Where does Merlin Rohl play?
Rohl is an attacking midfielder in Freiberg's 4-2-3-1 formation. Essentially, he plays a similar position to Dominik Szoboszlai in the current Liverpool setup.
The German is an interesting player to explain, though. He splits his time across the middle of the pitch, the attacking third and the penalty area - but drops pretty deep, too.
Again, it's very similar to the role that Slot has his attacking midfielder play. Someone who is comfortable all over the pitch, influencing the game in different ways.
How good is Merlin Rohl?
That's an interesting one to judge. Rohl does a lot of things really well - he gets the ball into the penalty area, gets shots off, creates chances. He doesn't do anything of at an incredible rate, though.
But again, maybe that's the point. Here's a 22-year-old who can do a lot of things to a high level and could likely plug into any system comfortably.
Most notably, he wins tackles and makes blocks. Rohl averages as many of those as he does key passes - not something you frequently see with attacking midfielders.
That seems, once again, tailor-made for what Slot is after - someone who can pressure players and win the ball up high. He's then got the quality to affect the game on the counter - be it a pass, a dribble or a shot.
Rohl looks versatile, then, and someone who could develop into an ideal counter-attacking player. He's been described as 'complete' by his former coach at Ingolstadt, as well as 'very quick'.
The physical profile is one that feels perfect for the Premier League - and exactly the player you want Arne Slot working with.
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