Everton push for another striker as £12.8m Youssef Chermiti transfer timeframe emerges
Everton want to get a deal “wrapped up” for Youssef Chermiti before they face his current club Sporting in a friendly on Saturday (5 August), i News reports.
The 19-year-old Portuguese forward is subject to “advanced” negotiations between the two sides over a £12.8million deal after Wolves and Bournemouth were beaten to the punch, although reports in his home country suggest he is in the dark over proceedings.
But with the teenager only breaking into the senior team last season the Toffees are still pressing to sign a “senior” striking option to go alongside him before the start of the new campaign.
According to i News (31 July): “After missing out on Almeria’s Mali international El Bilal-Toure last week they are now close to a breakthrough with Portuguese prospect Chermiti.
“Talks between the two clubs are advanced with a £12.8m fee and significant sell-on option for Sporting being discussed.
“Nothing is agreed at this stage but the deal has made significant progress over the last 24 hours. i understands Everton hope to have a deal wrapped up before the weekend friendly between the two clubs at Goodison Park…
“It is understood the club will continue to press for a senior striker addition alongside Chermiti.”
Reinforcements
By the sounds of things the Chermiti move is very much on the cards, although the note of caution from the Portuguese reports can’t be overlooked.
If a deal wasn’t completed in time he might not play in the friendly anyway, but it would be typical of the repeated disappointments Everton have suffered in the transfer market in recent months should the move fall through and then the youngster showed the club what they were missing.
However, assuming his lack of knowledge about the talks doesn’t prove to be a stumbling block and personal terms can follow an agreement with Sporting it is an encouraging development to land any striker after so long trying.
At 19 and with just three senior goals to his name there are even greater question marks than there were over the push for 21-year-old Touré from Almeria, in terms of how quickly he could adapt to the Premier League.
For the money involved he is surely expected to contribute in some way, considering Sean Dyche has been sacrificing Toffees talents like Ishe Samuels-Smith that appeared to be ones for the future this summer to boost his transfer budget.
But the reliance on Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s fitness would be eased to a far greater degree if a more experienced second option were to arrive too.
That would then give Dyche a clear three-man hierarchy and would probably mean Neal Maupay and Tom Cannon both move on, with the manager not seemingly convinced by either.
In other Everton news, the Toffees have agreed to sell a first-team ace to a Premier League rival but the move is currently blocked.