Kris Boyd has performed a remarkable U-turn on Youssef Chermiti after what he previously said about the Rangers striker.
Chermiti’s future at Ibrox has become the subject of intense speculation this summer, with Turkish giants Besiktas among the clubs linked with a move for the Portuguese striker following his impressive turnaround in the second half of the campaign.
Boyd, one of Scottish football’s most outspoken pundits and a man rarely shy about repeating a criticism, has now gone back on his earlier assessment, and his change of heart speaks volumes about just how far Chermiti has come since arriving in Glasgow for £8million last summer.
The admission will resonate with Rangers supporters who felt some of the early criticism directed at the 22-year-old was excessive, given the circumstances of his arrival.
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With Galatasaray, Porto and PSV Eindhoven now entering the mix, Boyd has offered a candid reassessment of Chermiti’s time at Rangers, acknowledging that his early struggles were part of a wider adaptation process and not evidence of a fundamentally flawed signing.
The former Gers striker traced Chermiti’s journey from a player who struggled to understand Scottish football and what it meant to represent the club, to one who grew into the jersey and delivered when it mattered the most, including two hat-tricks in a single Premiership season.
Boyd also addressed the transfer speculation directly, suggesting the Andrew Cavenagh-run club have a clear valuation in mind for the ex-Everton man and will not be rushed into a sale.
Speaking on the Go Ballistic podcast, he said: “Rangers are doing their work properly. They will know the valuation of what they want for Youssef Chermiti. When you go back to the start of last season, he struggled.
“He struggled to adapt to Scottish football, he was underperforming, and I’ve got to be honest, I think maybe looking at it, I was over the top with the criticism a lot of the time, because I think as the season went on, he grew into that Rangers jersey, he understood what it meant.
“I think he started to understand the environment and what it meant. His performances did get better.”
In Boyd’s view, the Govan club would sell Chermiti if the right offer arrived, meaning Besiktas’s proposed loan formula is unlikely to satisfy Danny Rohl and Co.
The pundit added, “I think if Rangers were to receive an offer that they feel matches the valuation of Youssef Chermiti, I think they would sell him.”
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What Rangers should do with Chermiti
Boyd’s verdict essentially sets out the dilemma Rangers face this summer in one neat package – a player who has proven his worth, but whose value may never be higher than it is right now.
The case for selling is clear. Chermiti arrived as an £8m gamble that nearly misfired, and selling him for a significant profit while reinvesting in multiple positions would be smart business for a club still finding their financial feet under the 49ers Enterprises ownership.
However, the case for keeping him is equally compelling. Two hat-tricks, a growing understanding of the Rangers environment, and still only 22 – there are not the attributes of a player you cash in on lightly.
If a club meets the Gers’ valuation with a permanent offer, sell. If not, keep him and build around him.
