Rangers boss addresses Youssef Chermiti to Porto transfer link as future talks held on PITCH after Falkirk hat-trick
Danny Rohl insists Portuguese forward is going nowhere this summer amid reported transfer interest from FC Porto
Danny Rohl has confessed he expects Youssef Chermiti to still be a Rangers player at the start of next season after Portuguese giants FC Porto became the latest club linked with the £8m striker.
Less than 24 hours after reports surfaced on social media of the Primeira Liga club’s interest in the former Everton marksman, Chermiti notched a hat-trick on the final weekend of the Premiership season as Rangers closed out a dismal campaign with a 5-2 victory over Falkirk.
The enigmatic 21-year-old Portuguese forward stole the show and head coach Rohl wants club officials to ensure they hold onto their top players throughout the summer transfer window as he looks to retain a “core” of his team.
Asked whether he is convinced Chermiti - who has bagged 15 goals in his debut season - can establish himself as a key player as part of his revamped squad next season, the Light Blues boss responded: “No question. I spoke to Youssef on the pitch. I also spoke to him about eight weeks ago and we talked about goals.
“Not just in big games but the ones where he has to score. Youssef has quality and he gives me a lot of hope that he’ll be here straight from the first day next season.
“He needed a bit of time to settle in but in the second half of the season, he’s done a great job. After a tough week with three games in a row, he’s still on the pitch trying to fight and run.
“This is what I saw in him from the beginning and now we’ve added on some goals. We need to keep a core. It’s important to continue with that but also important to have fresh blood and energy with new players.”
Porto among cluster of teams to express Chermiti interest
With eyes already shifting towards the summer window, it was reported by Portuguese outlet Transfer Radar on Friday evening that Chermiti has caught the eye of Porto after a productive first season in Govan.
They claim Rangers ‘will only accept selling the Portuguese player for 25 million euros’ as they look to made a significant profit who cost an eyebrow-raising fee last summer, having failed to score a single goal for Everton.
Chermiti has proved himself to be the man for the big occasion this term, with eight goals coming against Old Firm rivals Celtic and Hearts alone, but most of them have occurred in fits and starts.
It has been a position of constant churn for Rangers in recent years and Rangers must do everything in their power to keep hold of Chermiti, with fellow attacker Danilo expected to move on permanently this summer.