Everton cashed in on Youssef Chermiti over the summer, and his move to Rangers has not gone to plan so far.
Everton have invested in youth in 2025, bringing the likes of Thierno Barry, Merlin Rohl and Adam Aznou to Merseyside.
Those deals have been a mixed bag so far, with Aznou yet to feature and Rohl still adjusting after an injury setback.
Everton will hope that all three players become stars in the future, but there also has to be an acceptance of when to call it quits.
Youssef Chermiti is a prime example, as Everton signed him from Sporting in 2023 but cashed in just two years later.
Rangers striker Youssef Chermiti looks on before facing Celtic.
Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images
Rangers slammed over Youssef Chermiti deal
Chermiti failed to score in 25 Everton appearances, and the Toffees chose to sell rather than wait and see whether he fulfilled his potential.
Rangers pounced to sign Chermiti, as Kevin Thelwell reunited with the striker after bringing him to Everton in the first place.
Chermiti has been slammed at Rangers, with many baffled as to why the Gers paid Everton £8million for his signature.
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Chermiti did score his first Rangers goal in October, but he is still waiting for his Ibrox career to take off.
Former Rangers forward Nacho Novo has now offered his view on Chermiti’s post-Everton struggles while speaking to the Daily Record.
Novo absolved Chermiti of any blame, suggesting that his struggles lie at the feet of Rangers’ decision-makers.
Novo can’t understand paying so much money for a player with such a limited goalscoring record, and urged Chermiti not to try too hard.
The Spaniard added that Rangers must have seen something in Chermiti to have paid so much money for him, but it’s going to take time.
“It’s not his fault. He doesn’t put the price tag on his head,” said Novo. “Rangers spent that money because they think he’s going to become something, which he might,” said Novo.
“He just needs to keep his head down and keep working. Not try too hard or too much – because that’s when the problems start coming, when you try and try and try and everything is not going well.
“They are going to have to give him time. It’s not his fault. The fault has come from the top and the people who have decided to sign him for that sort of money. Because never in my career did I see a Rangers manager or director of football sign a player who has scored three goals in four years. And for that amount of money.
“So, for me, that is the problem. But I don’t know about the politics,” he added.
Everton couldn’t wait around for Youssef Chermiti
Chermiti may well fulfil his potential at Rangers and become a star goalscorer north of the border.
Everton simply didn’t see enough to keep him around, though, and couldn’t wait much longer.
Chermiti showed virtually no indication that he would become a top Premier League striker down the line, and a sale was inevitable once £8million was put on the table.
Everton could not turn down that money, recouping a healthy portion of the fee paid to Sporting in 2023.
Barry is now the young forward Everton want to develop, so it made perfect sense to cash in on Chermiti and move on from an experiment which just didn’t work.