Everton ‘agree deal to sign Sporting Lisbon’s Youssef Chermiti’

Everton have reportedly reached an agreement with Sporting Lisbon to sign striker Youssef Chermiti.

The 19-year-old broke into the Sporting side during the 2022-23 season, scoring a late winner at Rio Ave to net his first professional goal in February and featuring 22 times for the club.

Another strike against Porto saw Chermiti compete with Paulinho for a starting spot during the second half of the season, as the forward also became a regular for Portugal’s Under-19s.

Fabrizio Romano claims that the two clubs have struck a deal with a verbal agreement in place for Chermiti to join the Premier League side.

It is believed it would be a permanent transfer for the teenager, and personal terms are all that is left to be agreed.

Everton have been on the lookout for attacking reinforcements all summer after another disappointing season where attacking struggles were well documented.

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Only Wolverhampton Wanderers scored fewer than Everton’s 34 goals, with strikers Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Neal Maupay and Ellis Simms netting just four goals between them all season.

Calvert-Lewin’s injury concerns have meant that Maupay has played in all four friendlies so far this pre-season for Everton, as the Toffees have netted just four goals against lower-league opponents.

Arnaut Danjuma has been brought in on loan and has experience of playing in a central role, but his preferred role is on the left-wing.

However, the six-foot-four Chermiti fits the mould manager Sean Dyche would prefer, as much of Everton’s success under him came via set pieces and aggressive, high-octane pressing and physicality.

Everton have already missed out on El Bilal Toure after the Malian attacker opted to join Atalanta instead last week.

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Both clubs had agreed terms with Almeria but ultimately it was Toure’s decision and the player chose the move to Bergamo.

Another of Everton’s targets who moved elsewhere may inadvertently allow this deal to happen though, after Sporting signed Viktor Gyokeres from Coventry City earlier this summer.

After the addition of Gyokeres, Chermiti has not had much game time in pre-season, playing third-choice behind the Swede and Paulinho.

Everton face Sporting in their final pre-season match before the start of the new season next Saturday, so Chermiti’s first outing in the blue of Everton could be against his current club.

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