Liverpool to battle Everton for midfield POWERHOUSE

Liverpool are going to win the Premier League, while fielding a team that will go under surgery this summer in an extraordinary transfer window. As mental as that sounds, both things are true.

A whole host of remarkable performances from players have held the team paper over some of it's growing cracks and so while the Reds' form might not be looking too promising right now - with three losses in their last four matches - we're just 11 points off a historic 20th league title.

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While the recruitment team has been facing a lot of backlash this season, following a remarkably quiet summer transfer window before the season started, alongside a silent winter transfer window in the middle of the campaign, a lot of work has been going on behind the scenes.

Scouts have been sent out to follow some of the team's transfer targets and the sheer scale of the task ahead of them has been clear from the outset - assess the team's needs, plan accordingly to address those needs when the season is finished, and attempt to extend the contracts of Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil Van Dijk.

While work on the contracts might seem to be slow, and the lack of transfer business might suggest a lack of activity from the recruitment team, a lot of players have been shortlisted as a campaign has progressed, and one of those is a new midfielder to add dynamism to the squad.

Everton approach player Liverpool scouted six months ago

According to Kicker, Everton have made contact with the representatives of Merlin Rohl, a midfield powerhouse at Freiburg.

The 22-year-old is capable of playing across the midfield, be it in a defensive role, as a workhorse central midfielder, or an attacking No.10.

Despite only playing 928 minutes this season, the German has impressed in his performances having shown a relentless appetite to press on and off the ball, working tirelessly for his team.

However, the one problem the Toffees might have in securing him is that Liverpool have shown 'serious' interest in him since September 2024.

The midfield 'wizard' is a tantalising prospect, who could help Liverpool out in a number of positions, while the club can offer the him the development the needs to springboard his career.

Currently Freiburg are set to miss out on the European places in the Bundesliga, so the prospect of joining a Champions League club could be too good an opportunity to ignore and the Reds have taken four points from their two derby meetings with Everton, so it is clear who the better team is.

One thing to recognise is that around the same that Liverpool's interest in him came out, Rohl signed a new contract, perhaps in a move to sway off any potential interest.

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However, if Everton have been given the all clear to speak to his representatives, then a move might be back on the cards, and the Reds will know that they simply cannot afford to let a talent like the German go to a direct rival. It would inevitably come back to bite them at some point.

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