Football is full of stories where potential collides with reality, and for Youssef Chermiti, his Everton chapter has ended sooner than expected. On August 1, the 20-year-old Portuguese striker sealed a move to Glasgow Rangers for an initial £8 million fee, potentially rising to £10 million with add-ons. A Brief, Flickering Spell
Chermiti arrived at Everton in the summer of 2023 from Sporting CP, hailed as a raw but exciting forward—tall, mobile, and technically gifted. Seen by some as a “project signing,” he was expected to develop under the Goodison lights. Yet across 24 appearances in two seasons, Chermiti clocked less than 300 minutes, struggling to adapt to the Premier League’s relentless pace and physicality.
Why the Move Made Sense
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For Everton: The Toffees recoup a tidy sum for a player unlikely to crack David Moyes’s preferred setup, especially with Beto and Thierno Barry ahead in the pecking order.
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For Chermiti: A fresh start at Rangers offers regular playing time, European competition exposure, and a less suffocating environment to refine his finishing and confidence.
Moyes acknowledged the departure pragmatically: “He’s a good lad with potential, but the timing wasn’t right here. At Rangers, he’ll get the opportunities he needs.”
Echoes of the Past
Everton fans will remember other youthful prospects who arrived with big billing but fizzled out before fully blossoming—think Shkodran Mustafi (sold young, only to flourish elsewhere) or Sandro Ramírez. Chermiti joins that lineage of “what-ifs,” illustrating the club’s ongoing challenge: balancing immediate needs with long-term gambles.
The Striker Question
The sale leaves Everton with just two senior strikers:
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Beto: The battering-ram forward capable of unsettling defenders.
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Thierno Barry: An emerging talent still learning the league.
With the season stretching ahead and fixture congestion looming, questions linger: will Moyes gamble on this thin frontline, or dive back into the market before the window slams shut?
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