Youssef Chermiti in line to leave Ibrox after talks at Rangers
Rangers have reportedly told Youssef Chermiti he can leave the club in the January transfer window.
Chermiti arrived at Rangers for an initial £8million in the summer, following now-former sporting director Kevin Thelwell from Everton.
But the Portuguese striker has had a nightmare spell at Ibrox, scoring just once in 18 appearances so far, in Rangers’ victory over Kilmarnock in late October.
With Thelwell since sacked at Rangers, after the manager Chermiti was signed for in Russell Martin, the club are now ready to pull the plug on the player’s time in Glasgow as well.
Rangers hold clear talks with Youssef Chermiti over January exit
Ibrox Noise report that Rangers have clearly communicated to Chermiti that they are ready to let him go in the New Year.
The Light Blues are said to know that the numbers involved in getting rid of him so soon after a major outlay are problematic, as are the optics of a big-money signing being pushed back out again already.
But given his significant wages it is considered to be the sensible option to cut their losses sooner rather than later.
Chermiti has reportedly been told that a loan or a sale could be on the cards, although if the club are obliged to cover wages for a temporary move it would defeat the purpose of shifting him.
Interested clubs are said to be operating on tight budgets and are hesitant due to the 21-year-old’s salary and transfer value, but Rangers are thought to be aware they may have to take a loss on the deal.
Heads had to roll over Chermiti nightmare, and have
There is no escaping how much of a colossal failure this has been for Rangers, and while Chermiti isn’t the only player who has underperformed from the summer recruitment haul he was always going to be the poster boy for the mis-steps if it went wrong given the cost involved.
Given the youngster had never scored a goal for Everton in two years after signing for up-to £15m and was available despite the Toffees’ own struggles at the position and the fact they were losing Dominic Calvert-Lewin on a free, it is incredible that Thelwell, Martin and company all saw fit to spend more money on him than Rangers had shelled out on anyone for over two decades.
Scoring his first goal as Danny Rohl secured his first win in charge suggested hope that Chermiti’s early struggles could be chalked up to the all-round calamity that was the Martin era, but he simply hasn’t kicked on from there.
The only silver lining from the situation is that the Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers regime appear to be acting decisively upon recognising their mistakes, given that Martin was fired, Thelwell and Patrick Stewart soon followed, and now the club are looking to end the Chermiti experiment.
But the time and money wasted on the whole debacle has been damaging and wasted a huge opportunity to come out of the first summer under new ownership fast, in order to take advantage of the most wide-open Scottish Premiership title race in years.
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