Rangers could allow Yousef Chermiti to leave on loan in January, with Portuguese side Braga monitoring the striker’s situation closely according to reports from Ibrox News.
Chermiti arrived from Everton in the summer for a fee of around £8m, a significant investment at the time and one made with long-term planning in mind – in fact it is Rangers biggest outlay other than the £12m spent to sign Tore Andre Flo in 2000.
The idea was that he would develop as part of the next phase of the squad, offering physical presence, mobility, and a different profile to the options already available.
But the move has yet to ignite. Minutes have been afforded to the forward but his form has been patchy at best and his confidence, crucial for a young forward, appears fragile.
As first reported by Josh Edwards, Braga, who tracked Chermiti before his move to Everton, are now interested in taking him back to Portugal on a short-term deal.
Their recruitment model often revolves around rehabilitating value and reshaping young talent in a more familiar tactical environment.
For Chermiti, it would represent a reset, regular minutes, technical football, and a league more geared toward his development curve.
From Rangers perspective, the discussion is less emotional and more structural.
Röhl is assessing his squad with clarity and speed. The new manager has made it clear he values intensity, aggression in the press, and forwards who contribute heavily out of possession.
Chermiti has the frame and athletic capacity for that role but has not yet convinced in the famous blue jersey.
There is also the reality that Rangers are planning to recruit in the forward areas in January. If a new striker arrives, particularly one suited to Röhl’s high-tempo approach, then Chermiti is likely to fall down the pecking order.
A loan could protect his value rather than erode it.
Sporting Director Kevin Thelwell has now signed Chermiti twice, spending £23m on him across Everton and Rangers, but twice he has now failed to impress and questions surely must be asked of his ability to continue in his role as we move towards the January transfer window.
That point cannot be ignored. Recruitment at Rangers has been under scrutiny for some time, and Chermiti’s situation only sharpens that focus.
Supporters have already been vocal in questioning the decision-making at the top of the football department, and a scenario in which an £8m signing is loaned out within half a season will not pass quietly.
If the loan does materialise, it will be portrayed publicly as a developmental pathway and a confidence rebuilding method.
Privately, it will be acknowledged as a correction and a costly one at that.
And if Rangers are to progress under Röhl, the decisions around him, Chermiti included, need to be smarter and better researched. But will that happen under Thelwell?