Everton should be delighted with last-minute summer transfer, it’s a better deal than Jack Grealish
Jack Grealish will not go down as the best piece of transfer business that Everton conducted in the summer.
The England international was part of nine new faces who joined the ranks on Merseyside during the summer transfer window, and was arguably the most high-profile addition of all.
Grealish has made an electric start at Everton since joining from Manchester City, and his absence was telling for them on Saturday as he was unavailable for the 2-0 defeat against his parent club.
The winger has revitalised himself under David Moyes so far this term, but it is quickly becoming clear that the Toffees’ best piece of transfer business actually came from a more unexpected source.
£10m Youssef Chermiti sale is daylight robbery from Everton
Grealish is without doubt Everton’s best new signing from the summer, but early evidence suggests that he could soon be overtaken as their best piece of recent business.
The Toffees sold Portuguese striker Youssef Chermiti to Rangers on deadline day for an eye-catching £10million fee, which already looks to be a very favourable deal for the Premier League outfit.
The 21-year-old failed to score across 24 senior appearances for Everton, which was a hugely disappointing record throughout his two years with them.
- Everton paid a package worth £15m for Chermiti after just 10 competitive starts for Sporting
- He hasn’t scored a competitive goal since the 2022-23 campaign
- They were able to recoup two thirds of that fee in their deal with Rangers this summer
Unsurprisingly, the ex-Sporting CP man has endured a similarly woeful start at Ibrox, as he has played just 88 minutes of league football so far this season, and has failed to have any sort of impact north of the border.
Given his lack of influence at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, many people would not have batted an eyelid at the deal to sell Chermiti, but when you look a little closer, it is an excellent agreement from Dan Friedkin and Co.
The youngster joined for a fee of £15m back in 2023, so to recoup almost all of that fee after two disastrous years should be sniffed at from Everton’s point of view.
They appear to have robbed Rangers in broad daylight, and that ability to secure a significant fee for someone who had little value to them, should stand it as their best piece of summer business, despite Grealish’s success.
Everton need to sign a new striker in January
Beto’s struggles at Everton have been well-publicised of late, and with Thierno Barry also finding it hard to adapt to the English game, a new striker is surely a must in January.
The decision not to try and replace Chermiti was understandable, given the last-minute nature of his exit and his standing within the group.
However, the Toffees are crying out for another option to lead the line, and ideally someone who has a natural instinct for scoring goals.
Players of that ilk are unlikely to be readily available in the winter window, which means that Friedkin may have to get his wallet out once again to give Moyes the tools that he needs.
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