Merlin Röhl

Röhl came through at Freiburg, a club that produces technically sound midfielders and expects them to work extremely hard, and he arrived in England with a reputation for filling several roles competently. He is big without ever being clumsy, keeps the ball under pressure, and has been used at left back and on the right wing as well as through the middle. He was part of the Germany side that reached the final of the European under age championship.

Versatility of that kind is a blessing at squad level and a problem at an individual one, because the player who can do everything is rarely the first name written down. What Everton have to establish is whether he is a genuine central midfielder or a very useful spare part.