The international break will have come at a welcome time for Rangers and under-fire boss, Russell Martin, with the former Scotland defender having endured a miserable start to life at Ibrox.
Four points from four in the Premiership, alongside a Champions League qualifying embarrassment, has already plunged the ex-Southampton boss into crisis. Can he turn it around?
There’s no hiding from what was a miserable August, although nothing has been decided yet. The season is only in its infancy.
With 14 new signings needing to properly bed in to life in Glasgow, it may still be too soon to properly judge Martin’s tenure, albeit with the pressure on considering the nature of their summer outlay.
Roughly £30m was reportedly spent by the Gers during the most recent window, with the most notable investment having been the £8m that was splashed out on goal-shy Everton youngster, Youssef Chermiti.
That eye-watering fee – which could rise to £10m with add-ons – will bring with it a lefty weight of expectation. Is the Portuguese striker worth the risk?
Youssef Chermiti's record pre-Rangers
Three goals in 22 games for Sporting Lisbon. No goals in 24 senior outings for the Toffees. A record that points to Rangers – and former Everton chief Kevin Thelwell – gambling on potential rather than proven quality.
It is a “heck of a gamble” at that, in the words of club legend Ally McCoist, with there little evidence to suggest that Chermiti will prove to be a success in Scottish football, amid his recent woes on Merseyside.
Signed on a £15m deal by the Premier League side back in the summer of 2023, the 21-year-old has been reduced to bit-part status since then, albeit with then-boss Sean Dyche admitting in 2024 that he was recruited as a “development player” who would have fared better with a loan move.
“I was pleased with him Youssef was brought in as a development player who probably should have went out on loan or that type of future. You know the situation here; small squad, stretching numbers. We’ve had to develop him in the side if we can and he’s done well.”
Rather than a temporary exit, Chermiti has now secured a permanent switch to Scotland, thus marking the club’s most expensive outlay since the £12m capture of Tore Andre Flo back in 2000.
The merits of such a deal can be debated long into the night, with the Portugal youth international – who has scored seven times in 75 recorded games at academy and senior level, as per Transfermarkt – in need of a positive start to try and win over an expectant fanbase.
That said, the Light Blues’ extensive recruitment can help ease the burden on the marquee new addition, with Bojan Miovski likely to be the main man in attack for Martin and co instead.
Bojan Miovski's market value
If Chermiti is the long-term expensive gamble, then Miovski appears to be the perfect alternative, providing an experienced, ‘proven’ option who has already delivered the goods in the Premiership.
Market Movers
Described as a player who “does everything” during his time at Aberdeen by Billy Dodds, due to his impressive scoring rate and link-up play, the Macedonian marksman could prove a real coup following his £2.6m switch.
Indeed, while Chermiti is yet to flourish at first-team level, the 26-year-old has more than proven his worth in recent years, having notably scored 44 times in 98 games during his time at Pittodrie.
That impressive haul included a fine record on the big occasion, with Miovski scoring four times from just nine meetings with Rangers in all competitions, alongside netting three times in eight games against Celtic.
Livingston
7
5
Rangers
9
4
Hibs
9
4
Ross County
8
4
St Mirren
7
4
Motherwell
7
4
Celtic
8
3
While a return of four goals in 23 games for Girona last term is hardly the most eye-catching, the clinical number nine has already been there and done it for the Dons, a fact that pundit Andy Walker believes will make him a “better signing” than his new teammate:
“I think one of their best signings is Miovski; he knows all about the Scottish game. I like him, he’s a hard worker, he’s a good finisher, and I think he could get more goals than Chermiti, who’s come in for the big fee.
“He can be a better signing at that level than someone who has cost £8m.”
That fact is also reinforced when considering what Miovski’s actual market value is, with the Gers having seemingly secured a bargain when considering their £2.6m investment.
As per the great minds at CIES Football Observatory, the 33-cap international has a peak value of as much as €16m (£14m), eclipsing the figure that was dished out on Chermiti.
While Rangers won’t be looking to cash in on their new addition any time soon, that valuation does point to them striking a significant profit in the years to come.