Everton transfer news as Youssef Chermiti waits on Visa issues
Everton are closing in on the signing of Youssef Chermiti but the forward is being made to wait while the Toffees sort through Visa issues, according to Record.
The Portuguese newspaper reported in its print edition on Wednesday (9 August, page 14) that the 19-year-old Sporting Lisbon forward has completed his medical tests and issues regarding his work visa are the only thing holding up the deal.
Once the issues are passed Everton are set to complete the signing of Chermiti for a fee of around £12.9m with a potential for another £4.3m in add-ons, while the young forward will sign a five-year contract at Goodison Park keeping him on Merseyside until 2028.
The BBC had reported earlier this week (8 August) that the Toffees would announce the signing of the striker before the end of the week, so any potential Visa issues that are being faced by Everton look likely to be solved sooner rather than later.
Striker in
This deal may have taken a lot longer than most expected when we got that first Fabrizio Romano, “here we go” but it looks as though the Toffees may have finally got the forward they have been looking for throughout this transfer window.
While there will be fears that this deal falls at the final hurdle with Visa issues preventing the signing, that looks unlikely at this stage, with such bumps in the road often present when signing players from Europe, especially when they’re younger.
Chermiti offers another outlet upfront for Sean Dyche this season and will likely be slowly bled into the first team as the campaign draws on, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin the preferred option to lead the line when fit and Neal Maupay waiting in the wings.
Hopefully, the striker can build on his first season of senior football with Sporting where he managed to score three times in Liga Nos last year and exceed that tally in the Premier League as Everton need more goals this season than last.
In other Everton news, Calvert-Lewin has opened up about his recent “vicious” injury woes