Updated Everton have reached an agreement in principal with Sporting CP to sign 19-year-old Youssef Chermiti according to a number of reports including from Fabrizio Romano and Alan Myers of Sky Sports.
Chermiti is a product of the youth academy at the Lisbon giants and only made the breakthrough into their senior squad earlier this year.
It seems, though, that Everton have seen enough of him in his 22 appearances to launch a bid for him worth €15m, rising to €20m, and make him their second attacking signing of the summer.
The Blues failed in an attempt to sign El Bilal Toure from Almeria last week as they seek to add goals to the side, with the forward agreeing a €28m transfer to Atalanta instead.
They reportedly face competition from Wolves and Bournemouth for Chermiti and still have to agree personal terms with the player — indeed, according to O Jogo via Sport Witness, the player is “suprised” to learn he is on the verge of joining Everton — but the club are hopeful of getting the transfer over the line this week if they can resolve an impasse with Sporting over the sell-on clause.
Romano later passed on a quote from Chermiti’s father that suggested the teenager will assess the opportunity on offer on Merseyside:
“Yes, we were informed that Sporting agreed a deal in principle to transfer Youssef. Now, we will calmly analyze the proposal that Everton has just presented to us.”
With three senior goals to his name, Chermiti is unlikely to be the straight replacement for Dominic Calvert-Lewin should the Everton No 9 continue to struggle for consistent fitness but he has the right age profile for the kinds of deals Evertonians have been hoping the club would be making this summer.
The latest reporting from Sky Sports suggests that a medical is now scheduled for the teenager as the club look to get the transfer over the line ahead of Sporting’s visit to Goodison Park for a friendly this coming weekend.