Youssef Chermiti Player Profile: How does Everton’s £15m signing compare to Dominic Calvert-Lewin?

Everton have signed Sporting Lisbond forward Youssef Chermiti, but what can fans expect from the talented youngster?

He has completed a deal worth around £13m (€15m) and signed a five-year-contract, with the player being eyed as a future star.

With the Toffees scrambling to sign attacking reinforcements this summer, finally announcing this deal will be a big boost for morale and the squad, despite his lack of experience at senior level. He was able to displace Sporting’s Paulinho, the club’s top scorer last season, on a regular occasion during the second-half of the campaign.

More attackers will arrive after Chermiti, but the Portuguese youth international certainly brings a fresh energy to a squad that has laboured over the last two seasons, but how does he compare to Everton’s current attacking roster and what does he bring?

Comparisons to Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Arnaut Danjuma and Neal Maupay

He is certainly a lot less experienced than any of their other forwards, with last season seeing him finally break into the first-team after coming through Sporting’s famed academy. Five goal contributions in 16 appearances was a good return for Chermiti and he also gained valuable experience playing five times in the Europa League.

Standing tall at 1.92m, he will be the club’s tallest forward and his physicality has seen him able to hold the ball up and win aerial challenges, but he’s also a strong and powerful dribbler.

He averages around the same amount of touches per game as Calvert-Lewin, but possesses a better conversion rate (12%) shots, excluding blocks (2.7 per90) and aerial duel success (51.7%) - those stats also edge out Danjuma and Maupay.

Also, with 6.72 touches in the attacking area is far greater than any of the other forwards, meaning he is a player who is strong at being a focal point, is also an option for his teammates in advanced areas and, utimately, he is involved in the action.

How does he fit in?

With Maupay being the least utilised forward, Chermiti will compete with Calvert-Lewin for the starting striking role. The former England international has been a first-choice during his time at the club, but frequent injuries have seen him relinquish the position, especially across last season.

What does stand out is his non-penalty xG - he has been in a lot of strong goalscoring positions and despite his finishing being a work in progress, he is a natural forward and that’s exactly what the club needs.

Given his ability to win headers, run in behind and link-up, he could be the perfect foil for players like Danjuma, Lewis Dobbin and Dwight McNeil given his link-up play. He will earn plenty of minutes due to Calvert-Lewin’s historical injury record but his game and temperament will be tested to its limits as he enters the toughest league in the world at a tender age.

Whilst he can play with his back to goal and is strong in the air, he likes to carry the ball, attempting 2.56 dribbles per 90 (which places him within the 78th percentile) and he offers Everton a new and exciting threat to go alongside the signing of Danjuma - as well as at least one more attacking signing this summer.