Everton were tracking Tomas Soucek in the summer transfer window, but his performances might steer David Moyes away.
After a hectic summer, nine new signings arriving was good business at Everton, but Soucek was someone who seemed destined to join.
It became clear that Soucek rejected Everton as he chose to stay at West Ham, despite Moyes’ desire for a reunion.
The Czech Republic international was a success under the Scotsman for the Irons, and it looked set to be replicated on Merseyside.
But after Everton’s £14.7 million bid was turned down, it might not be the end of the world after Soucek’s recent display.
Czech media say Everton target Tomas Soucek ‘made mistakes’ vs Montenegro
The 30-year-old knows the Blues manager well and vice versa, so it seemed like an obvious deal to be done.
It looked as though the midfielder only wanted to stay in East London, and now the international break has rolled around, his decisions might have saved Everton.
Czech outlet iSport gave their summary of the Toffees target as he played 90 minutes against Montenegro in a World Cup qualifier.
“He didn’t get involved in unnecessary actions, but the Czech midfield was too open, especially in the first half,” they said.
“The Czech captain also made mistakes, and in the second half, he headed dangerously. 5/10.”
Everton fans weren’t happy with the Soucek links, and after his performance on international duty, they might have been right.
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Merlin Rohl was the right choice for Everton over Tomas Soucek
Adding to this poor showing, the Czech star hasn’t had the best of starts to life at West Ham this season.
Although Soucek was a success under Moyes previously, it doesn’t mean that his fortunes could be repeated with the Toffees.
Instead, Everton opted to sign Merlin Rohl, who is a similar type of midfielder in his height and attacking output.
The German is younger, and Rohl is already impressing in training, as when the midfielder has had game time, he looks the better option than Soucek.
| Statistics | Rohl in 23/24 | Soucek in 23/24 |
| Games played | 24 | 37 |
| Pass accuracy % | 80.8% | 75.7% |
| Successful dribbles per 90 | 1.27 | 0.13 |
| Chances created | 19 | 20 |
| Expected assists (xA) | 2.10 | 1.19 |
Rohl has struggled with injuries, and this season was a chance to show his true quality.
When you consider 13 games less played, the German still beats Soucek, proving why Everton have made the right choice.
Of course, the 23-year-old midfielder still needs his chance on the Premier League stage, but Soucek isn’t exactly convincing the Toffees to come in for a January move.
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