Saier explains why Freiburg approved Röhl’s move to Everton

SC Freiburg sporting director Jochen Saier has explained the club’s decision to let Merlin Röhl move to Everton.

Expectations were high when Merlin Röhl first broke into SC Freiburg’s first team, but things never quite took off for the 23-year-old before his move to Everton in the summer.

Explaining why the club gave the green light for Röhl to join Everton on loan with a reported €25 million purchase obligation, Freiburg sporting director Jochen Saier told Kicker:

“There were external factors like injuries and illness, which Merlin couldn’t do anything about and had to be accepted. After his return in the second half of the season, the team performed well, and it wasn’t easy for him to get into the starting eleven.”

He added that the club had to “weigh things up” with regard to Röhl and his future.

“What role will Merlin play with us? On which position can he secure a regular starting spot? (…) What difference does he make in terms of points and assists? Because if you don’t make such a transfer, you have to get consistent value on the pitch in return. Merlin also wanted to take this exciting step for himself – and for us, the conditions were right.”

Saier went on to emphasise his confidence in Freiburg’s squad depth:

“I’m confident in the quality and quantity of the squad even without Merlin. He rarely played in the central midfield positions of six or eight, but was mostly deployed in attacking roles. Especially behind the striker, we have players like Johan Manzambi, Eren Dinkci and Yuito Suzuki, who we believe can develop well with regular playing time.”