Rangers Face Turmoil as Chermiti Suffers ACL Injury
Rangers’ early-season plans have been thrown into turmoil after Youssef Chermiti suffered a serious ACL injury in Sunday’s defeat to Hibernian at Ibrox.
The 22-year-old forward went down in the first half after a heavy collision with the pitchside boards, leaving the ground in a protective boot with his knee strapped in a brace. The club confirmed he will be out for “a significant period of time” – a brutal setback for a player around whom so much of Rangers’ attacking hope, and value, had been built.
The timing could hardly be worse. Only hours before kick-off it had emerged that Rangers had knocked back a big-money bid from Galatasaray for the Portugal U21 international, underlining how central Chermiti had become to their project and their balance sheet.
Signed from Everton last summer in a deal worth up to £10m, Chermiti quickly justified the outlay. Fifteen goals and five assists across all competitions last season turned him into one of the most potent forwards in Scotland and a prized asset in the European market. Inside Ibrox, decision-makers now rate him above the club-record fee received for Calvin Bassey, who joined Ajax for an initial £19.6m in 2023.
On Sunday, before the injury, he looked every inch that player again.
New manager Derek McInnes watched his striker stretch Hibs, run channels and give Rangers a focal point. Then it all stopped in a moment.
“Disappointed for the big fella that he has to come off on a stretcher. I thought he was looking bright and running gaps,” McInnes said after the loss, which leaves him winless in his first three games in charge. “He played with a bit of purpose and there’s no doubt we missed that, but he’s left in a boot and his knee in a brace.
“It’s no surprise that he’s a player who’s got a big tag on him and he’s got high potential, but thankfully he’s our player and that will continue to be the case.”
The injury not only strips McInnes of his main striker; it also complicates Rangers’ stance in the market. A player they refused to cash in on is now set for a long spell out, and the team that was being built around him suddenly needs a new attacking solution.
Driouech deal close as Rangers accelerate rebuild
If Chermiti’s injury was a gut punch, Rangers’ transfer activity shows they have no intention of standing still.
The club have already made nine signings this summer and are closing in on a tenth, with a £6.5m deal agreed for PSV Eindhoven winger Couhaib Driouech. The 21-year-old is undergoing his medical and finalising paperwork ahead of a move to Ibrox.
Rangers have beaten competition from Burnley and Celta Vigo for the Dutch-born wide player, who has put up impressive numbers in limited time. Driouech has scored 12 goals in 61 games for PSV, including three in last season’s Champions League, and added 10 assists. Direct, productive, and still developing, he arrives with the profile of a winger who can change games and, crucially now, help replace some of Chermiti’s end product.
Driouech’s path has already taken him through Heerenveen and Excelsior, while on the international stage he has been capped by Morocco at U23 level. For a Rangers side that has been trying to lower the age profile of the squad and add resale value, he fits the model neatly.
And he will not be the last.
At the club’s shareholder meeting on Monday, chairman Andrew Cavenagh made it clear that the recruitment drive is far from over, revealing plans to bring in between three and five more players before the window closes. The message was blunt: Rangers are still building.
Defence next on the agenda
Attention now turns to the backline, one of the areas expected to be strengthened before Scotland’s 5pm deadline on 3 September.
On the right, Aston Villa’s Kosta Nedeljkovic has emerged as a possible signing after initial talks. Rangers are also weighing up a move for Hugo Siquet of Club Brugge, as they look for competition and long-term solutions in the full-back positions.
On the opposite flank, discussions have taken place over former Hearts left-back James Penrice, currently at AEK in Greece. His knowledge of the Scottish game and ability to slot straight into the domestic rhythm make him an appealing option as McInnes tries to rebalance a squad that has looked fragile at the back.
The picture is stark. A marquee forward is out for months. A new winger is flying in. Defenders are being lined up. A manager still searching for his first win is trying to knit it all together while the season gathers pace.
Rangers’ summer was supposed to be about refinement and elevation. Now, with Chermiti sidelined and the transfer clock ticking, it has become a test of how quickly a club can adapt when its plans are ripped up in one sickening collision with the advertising boards.
