Liverpool have taken up reshaping their squad quite aggressively in the ongoing summer transfer window, as we saw the chiefs at Kirkby bring in Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz at L4. While the Kop were still celebrating the arrival of the duo, the Reds continued to do business in what could possibly be a generational transfer window at Anfield Stadium as the Merseysiders brought in highly acclaimed left back Milos Kerkez in a £40 million move from Bournemouth.
And Liverpool are still not taking a breather, as Arne Slot is again set to raid the Bundesliga for the third time this offseason as Liverpool look to bring in versatile 22-year-old SC Freiburg midfielder Merlin Rohl as they look to hijack Everton’s move to secure the Germany Under-21 international.
The Merseyside-based duo are not alone, though, as Premier League rivals Newcastle United and Crystal Palace are also looking to secure the signatures of the Berlin-born starlet.
And while his arrival might not have the capacity to grab headlines (at least immediately), he has that potential which could end up bringing in a sense of versatility and tactical maturity in the middle of the park, especially given how the left-footed midfielder has an elite ceiling which is still to be fully unlocked.
Scouting Rohl – Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
To start with, he brings a sense of positional versatility to the roster given how he has already featured in multiple roles. The 22-year-old can play as a box-to-box midfielder (his primary role), attacking midfielder, deep-lying pivot, or on the left wing (but in an inverted role). And if that wasn’t enough, you can also play him in the false nine role occasionally.
And this is a tactical flexibility that Arne Slot would really appreciate, given how his presence and role can be altered based on the system that he is playing, especially when the Reds have to rotate for cup competitions or manage injuries.
He is also really strong with his carries, especially in transition, given how he can carry the ball at pace and with purpose. And then he combines will when he is presented with linkup opportunities in vertical triangles (especially when he is driving into half-spaces). And this suits that demand that Arne Slot puts on his midfielders (you can think of how the 46-year-old used Orkun Kökçü at Feyenoord).
Moreover, while he is young and somewhat offensive in terms of profile, he is still really energetic with his presses and is quite intelligent when it comes to cutting passing lanes. He has that ability to recover the ball quite well while also having that strong presence in second ball situations.
The thing is Slot and his model rely quite a bit on his type of midfielders, the ones that can carry and recycle.
And given his frame of 6’2”, Rohl also gives you that added height in the midfield (something that the Reds have often lacked when Endo or Mac Allister are anchoring the pivot).
Weaknesses
With nearly a thousand minutes of football under his belt, he only has one assist to his name and no other goal-scoring contributions, and this lack of end product could be something Slot needs to think about because this could limit his usefulness in the final third (and means he would be better in a supporting midfield role than a creative one).
Moreover, we also saw how he is prone to forcing out vertical passes that have the capacity to break those sequential rhythms. So Slot may have to end up simplifying his passing map to ensure that he is getting him more accustomed to playing out of pressure.
He is a Developmental Signing and Not an Immediate Starter.
The thing with Rohl is that he is still quite raw, and if he is brought into the side at L4, he wouldn’t be your immediate starter. I am expecting that there will be a transitional period between him joining Liverpool and him starting to make an impact.
How does Rohl tactically fit in under Arne?
You can see him playing in a 4-2-3-1 or even in a possible 4-3-3 system at Anfield Stadium. I think he will play in a double pivot in the former, where he plays alongside a deeper holder and gives you that leg and coverage. Then If I am thinking about him in a midfield three (4-3-3), then you can see him playing in a left-sided eight role whilst he combines with the fullback in an overlap or whilst cutting on the inside.
Slot may end up using him in maybe out wide or in false nine roles in cup competitions.
Slot-linked midfielders who can carry the ball quite progressively whilst having that transitional ability to switch between attack and defence. And overall he likes players who give that vertical movement (especially against low blocks), and Rohl ticks all of these boxes given that he can be shaped into someone who contributes to multiple facets of the game. Slot can develop him quite similarly to how he developed Wieffer or Szymański at Feyenoord.
Author Opinion
Now Rohl will not be an overnight success, but in a setup where he can develop under Slot and around players who have become powerhouses, he can become a phenomenon to be dealt with.