Chermiti misses Sporting CP training ahead of Everton transfer as agreement reached
Youssef Chermiti was not present for training with Sporting Lisbon as his move to Everton edges closer, according to Correio de Manha.
The Portuguese news outlet published a report in its print edition (4 August, page 16) claiming that the 19-year-old striker was absent from training with his club in order to finalise personal terms with the Toffees.
Chermiti, who has played internationally for Portugal’s Under-19s, is close to a switch to Goodison after Sporting Lisbon and Everton reached an agreement for his transfer.
With just the final details left to iron out, supporters could expect an announcement imminently.
Gamble
Chermiti is an exciting signing who could well develop into a top player in the Premier League, although his youth and lack of experience makes him a potentially risky addition.
The forward has only made 22 appearances for the Sporting Lisbon first-team, scoring three goals and providing two assists in that time, and in total he has only scored six career goals in 48 club appearances across both senior and youth teams.
Internationally he has impressed, recently making his debut for his country’s Under-19 side and scoring three goals in four games so far. However, Chermiti is still clearly a gamble.
Sean Dyche will be desperate to add a brand new striker to his ranks after scoring just 34 goals in the Premier League last season, and while time could yet prove that this was a smart bit of business, for now, Chermiti remains an unproven option to lead the line on Merseyside.
In other Everton news, a club teammate has impressed Michael Keane during training in pre-season.