Rog to join Sevilla on loan

After a month of speculation, Marko Rog is reportedly set to join Sevilla on a loan deal without an option to buy. It’s been a frustrating season for the young Croation midfielder who has struggled to get on the field for Napoli under Carlo Ancelotti. Rog has only appeared in 11 games this season in all competitions, and has only started in 4. Under Sarri, Rog was a regularly used sub but struggled to break into the first team and his role has diminished even further with Ancelotti. Neither manager was ever really able to find Rog’s best position, bouncing him back and forth between the center of midfield and out wide as a winger.

Rog will join a Sevilla side in 4th place in La Liga and competing for a champions league spot. It was reported earlier that the loan deal would include an option (or even an obligation) to buy but it seems as if Napoli are keen to hold onto the young midfielder for the future. With Napoli’s talented and crowded midfield, it was clear that Rog would have a difficult time finding playing time this season. However, the question that remains to be answered is whether or not Rog will be able to get much more time in Seville. At Sevilla, Rog will have to compete with the likes of Ever Banega, Pablo Sarabia, and Roque Mesa for a spot in the starting XI. It may have made more sense for Rog to join a weaker side on loan with the guarantee of more playing time rather than make a lateral move to a club like Sevilla.

Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images

At only 23, Rog is still a young player with a ton of potential but he will need to start playing regularly if he wants to develop his game further. After making Croatia’s preliminary squad, the midfielder didn’t make the final cut and will be determined to get into the national team in the future. One thing for certain is that on the pitch, Rog has shown his high work rate, a quality that will benefit him no matter where he ends up.