Portuguese striker Youssef Chermiti was rumored to be leaving Everton this summer, but most of the speculation was surrounding a loan move for the 21-year-old.
However, both El Bobble and Paul Joyce of The Times are now indicating that the move is a sale, not a loan, and that Chermiti will join Rangers of the Scottish Premiership for an initial fee of £8 million.
While it's not a completely surprising move, Chermiti has been ravaged by injuries since joining Everton from Sporting CP in his native Portugal in 2023, and the striker featured in just 22 matches for the Toffees, including just two starts, one in the PL2.
It was always a bit of a gamble to bring in an 18-year-old with just 844 minutes under his belt, but Everton paid roughly £10.8 million for him, and is now likely to suffer a bit of a loss, although Joyce is reporting that the deal could be worth up to £10 million, which would lessen the blow.
There's very little to tell about whether the move to Rangers will be a successful one for Chermiti, mostly because he just hasn't played that much football as a professional (he has a total of 1097 minutes as a pro). He's clearly a good athlete who might have the ability to play multiple positions across the front line, but injuries have not allowed him to showcase any of his skills
It's also impossible to know if Chermiti leaves a hole in the squad that Everton needs to fill or if they feel comfortable with Beto and Thierno Barry serving as primary strikers, with the possibility of Iliman Ndiaye stepping in if things get dire.
With at least two key spots that need to be taken care of, namely right back and central midfield, a third striker feels like a much lower priority. However, having a versatile player who can fill in on the right wing as well as step in as a striker might not be a bad next step, especially if rumors about Dwight McNeil's potential departure are true.
It just can't be a priority over right back or a midfielder, as those are the two key roles Everton need to fill in order for this window to be considered a successful one.