The 21-year-old striker’s tenure at Everton has been difficult so far, presenting supporters with a glaring question.
Since his arrival in August 2023, the Portuguese striker has frequently shown overt signs of his potential as a mobile centre-forward for the Blues, with his strong hold-up play being a key reason. Most notably, his only Premier League start, an impressive 90-minute display in a triumphant victory over Brentford in April 2024, indicated the prospect emerging ahead of other options.
However, a torrid foot injury sustained only 4 months later cruelly ruled Chermiti out for 118 days before a successive hamstring injury. Although an array of Evertonians believed it to be his breakthrough season, last campaign, the striker played just 42 minutes of Premier League football. In stark contrast, Beto, also born in Portugal, played 1,628 minutes in the competition.
“I’m still getting to know Chermiti,” David Moyes expressed how most Blues still feel regarding the player, following a brief cameo in the dramatic 1-1 draw with West Ham Utd in March.
Furthermore, Frenchman Thierno Barry penned a 4-year deal this week, arriving from Villarreal, and will undoubtedly feature frequently for the Toffees this upcoming season, whilst Chermiti, on the other hand, may struggle to make his mark.
Personally, I believe David Moyes must at least consider giving the 21-year-old striker a fair opportunity to emerge as a rational striking option in addition to Beto and Barry. Everton’s six upcoming pre-season friendlies, featuring competitive clashes with both Manchester United and AFC Bournemouth as part of the Premier League Summer Series in the United States, will be a perfect opportunity for Chermiti to appeal to Moyes.
Also, with Everton’s squad currently extremely thin — ranking as the 3rd smallest in Europe’s top 5 leagues (18 players), according to Transfermarkt — holding on to the former Sporting man may reduce Everton’s expenditure on squad depth over the course of this summer transfer window.
Whilst his injuries have clearly stalled his development, what Chermiti needs most is to be playing football regularly. Could a loan move reignite his knack of scoring vital goals and linking up play neatly for Sporting? Possibly, but an entire, intense season may equally prove to be crucial for him to not only prove his clear talent to Moyes, but show he is physically capable of performing in the Premier League.