Rangers have completed the signing of 21-year-old Portuguese striker Youssef Chermiti from Everton in a deal worth a reported £8 million – the second-highest transfer fee in the club’s history. The move was finalized on deadline day, with head coach Russell Martin expressing confidence that the young forward will prove to be a long-term success at Ibrox.
Chermiti, who has signed a four-year contract with the Glasgow club, arrives in Scotland after a challenging spell in the Premier League. He made 24 appearances for Everton – only two of them starts – following his £11.5 million transfer from Sporting CP in 2023 but failed to register a goal during his time at Goodison Park.
Despite the lack of goals in England, Rangers boss Martin believes the striker has all the tools to thrive in the Scottish Premiership.
“It’s a long-term investment for the football club, and I think it will be a brilliant investment for the football club,” Martin said. “I think he’ll do extremely well for us. There won’t be any expectation on him in here — I’m sure externally maybe that changes — but he wants to learn, he wants to grow, and he wants to help the team.”
Martin praised Chermiti’s physical attributes, mentality, and potential, highlighting that the club had to fend off significant interest from other European sides to secure his signature.
“Youssef has tools that you’d really want in a number nine — good athleticism, great character, and a real hunger to learn. His record at youth level speaks for itself. He hasn’t really had the chance he probably wanted at first-team level yet, but that was in the toughest league in the world. We believe we can give him the platform to show what he’s capable of.”
The signing underlines Rangers’ commitment to building a squad for the future, with Chermiti expected to develop into a key player over the coming seasons rather than face immediate pressure to deliver.
