If you are an Everton supporter, you should be hoping beyond hope that Merlin Rohl is a Toffee for the long term. Because if he isn't, the worst possible situation has befallen the Merseyside club.
According to a report by Joe Thomas of the Liverpool Echo, the trigger for Rohl's loan to turn into a permanent deal is a rather easy one: Everton just has to avoid relegation.
Given the tumult of the relegation battles over a few of the last couple of seasons, this is something that all Everton supporters can get on board with. It will be even better if the German midfielder turns out to be a successful player, otherwise, Toffee fans may find the club staying in the Premier League slightly bittersweet.
The hit isn't supposed to be terrible considering the player's age and the relatively low milage, with the eventual fee reportedly in the neighborhood of £18 million. This, of course, doesn't include any loan fee that Everton may be paying for this season, but there's also a chance that Freiburg included that number in the final tally, given how likely it is for the clause to be triggered.
And David Moyes and his transfer committee will have know that heading into the deal, which makes you wonder why the move was a loan at all. It's possible the two clubs couldn't come to an agreement on deadline day to make a permanent transfer happen, or that PSR guidelines might have prohibited further spending on Everton's part. The loan, then, would allow the club to kick the money down the road to next summer.
The intent seems to be to use Rohl as cover for Idrissa Gana Gueye, and possibly groom the German U21 international to take over for Gana in his role. But while Germany plays Rohl in a deeper role, he's never been tasked with being the sole defensive midfielder, so time will tell if that's where he ends up.
He could also be used as the player next to Gana for now, stepping into James Garner's role, but the Englishman has gotten off to a good start this season, even as he's spent two matches as a square peg in a round hole at left back.
It will be interesting to see what Moyes' plan is for Rohl, but he's clearly been a player of interest for some time, as Everton bid for him twice in January.
But Everton fans should expect to see him around for the next several years, since that purchase clause is all but a done deal, provided the Toffees continue to gel and improve throughout the season.