Everton raked in £8million for striker Youssef Chermiti over the summer, and Rangers fans may hope there is a receipt.
Everton fans may be questioning the decision to sign Thierno Barry after the striker’s slow start.
Barry needs time to shine, and Everton will hope that the summer investment pays off in the end.
Everton appear to have got it right with Youssef Chermiti, though, after selling him to Rangers.
The Portuguese forward has struggled early on at Rangers, and the £8million sale looks to have been an Everton masterstroke.
Rangers striker Youssef Chermiti looks on before facing Celtic.
Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images
Ex-Rangers man rages over signing Youssef Chermiti from Everton
Chermiti didn’t score a single goal during his two years at Everton, though he did only play 25 games.
The 21-year-old failed to justify his 2023 move from Sporting, and Everton were happy to cash in.
Chermiti recently scored his first Rangers goal, but he then missed a golden chance in Sunday’s Old Firm derby defeat to Celtic.
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Rangers have started the season in poor form, and that means a real focus on big-money signing Chermiti.
Former Rangers striker and director of football Gordon Smith has now raged over the deal, telling the Daily Record that the deal was ‘out of order’.
Smith cannot understand why Rangers wanted to sign Chermiti, given that he had no record of scoring goals.
Smith even claimed that he wouldn’t have signed Chermiti for free, never mind with a £10million price tag.
“I was shocked by it, I’ll be honest, and I’ve done scouting courses as well,” said Smith on Chermiti’s move to Ibrox.
“One of the factors you’re looking at in a striker is goals scored. I wouldn’t have brought him in on a free transfer, never mind paid money for him, on his stats.
“I just couldn’t understand why they possibly could be interested in him. He might come good eventually, who knows? But, at that level, he was never [worth that], that valuation was out of order.
“He has hardly played enough games, and his goalscoring record did not stack up. I couldn’t understand that signing whatsoever,” he added.
Youssef Chermiti can haunt The Friedkin Group this week
Everton cashed in on Chermiti and may well have taken that money and run to the bank.
This is nothing personal against Chermiti, it’s just – as Smith said – he has no proven goalscoring record.
In fact, Chermiti has only scored seven goals in all competitions across his career, so Everton simply had to take the money.
This week, Chermiti will be in action for Rangers against Roma, meaning he has a chance to haunt The Friedkin Group.
Everton’s owners also own Roma, and while they won’t have made the decision to sell Chermiti, they will sign off on all deals.
Chermiti would love a goal in a big European tie, and he could do it with the Friedkins watching on from afar.