Copyright dailyrecord
Shocked Gordon Smith has savaged Rangers’ megabucks spend on Youssef Chermiti and revealed he wouldn’t even have signed him on a free transfer. Sporting director Kevin Thelwell was at the centre of Rangers ’ massive £8million striker splash for ex-boss Russell Martin and has faced huge scrutiny over the outlay. Thelwell was also key to the deal when Chermiti made his £12m move from Sporting to Everton in 2023 prior to becoming Rangers’ second most-expensive signing . But it’s been a torrid start for the Portuguese who has toiled to justify the bulky price tag. Chermiti has bagged just one goal since his big-money arrival and is adamant the numbers around the 21-year-old just didn’t add up. Thelwell has backed his judgement with the expensive deal which could rise to £10 million, but Smith said: “I was shocked by it [signing], I’ll be honest, and I’ve done scouting courses as well. “One of the factors you’re looking at in a striker is goals scored. “I wouldn’t have brought him in on a free transfer, never mind paid money for him, on his stats. “I just couldn’t understand why they possibly could be interested in him. “He might come good eventually, who knows? But, at that level, he was never [worth that], that valuation was out of order. “He has hardly played enough games and his goalscoring record did not stack up. I couldn’t understand that signing whatsoever.” Chermiti managed to score his first goal for Rangers against Kilmarnock last month . But subsequent showings against Hibs and Celtic have not seen him build on that and he came under fire again at Hampden after missing big chances in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final loss. Smith added: “I went to Oldham on loan. The first day I was training, Joe Royle asked me what I thought of the players. I said, 'I’m surprised you are struggling, a lot of good players’. “I asked, "Who’s the boy with the black hair and the moustache?’ He said, 'That’s Micky Quinn, do you not rate him?’ I said no. “I thought he was the worst player of the whole lot. Joe pulled the Rothmans book down and showed me Micky’s stats. “He’d scored three goals every four games. That taught me a lesson. That was why he was in the team. This is why he plays. There are a lot of strikers out there who are like that. “I once fell out with Kris Boyd to a degree because I said if he didn’t score you’re playing with 10 men. “He didn’t do much else other than score. But, regularly, he did score and that was it. That’s a stat that is crucial.” Thelwell spoke highly of Chermiti at the time of the signing and, when quizzed about the striker during the press conference to unveil Rohl as manager, he reiterated his belief as he said: “Youssef has been a top talent for a number of years. “Sometimes you have to take a player that you think is at the start of their journey, grow and develop them and then make that step for us and help us to win going forwards. “Physically, he is a top, top performer. We think in due course in a particular style of play it will help him score goals and, hopefully, you will see the best of him.”
