Sporting Clube Portugal is having an outstanding european season, upsetting Arsenal in Europa League´s round of 16 and being alive and with chances against juventus in their quarter final draw. They have a good mix between experienced and professional footballers and young potential talents. One of those young talents, who emerged mid season in the first team is Youssef Chermiti, who seems to have established himself as a crucial player in the starting XI.

Youssef Chermiti, born on the 24/05/2004 is a Portuguese attacker who has recently had an incredible impact in Sporting Portugal. Being an academy player since 2016, he has played for all the young squads, before having his breakthrough this year, after leaving an incredible output in Sporting´s B squad. He has already participated in 4 goals (2 scored and 2 assisted) for Sporting Portugal in just 718 minutes played this season.

Chermiti is a pure striker, who mainly operates as the main reference, but has capacities and ability to play alongside another forward. He stands out for his great physicality, explosiveness, sense of goal and eccentricity.

The Portuguese suits perfectly in Sporting’s dynamic and mobile system, always providing a way of projecting into attack for his team. As Sporting proposes combinative football starting from his own goal and attracting rivals to high positions, his presence in the pitch becomes the main target when needed to play directly. When the pressing obligates to hit long throws, his outstanding ability to play with the back to the goal is key, protecting the Ball and holding the play. His huge physicality is key there, as it allows him to absorb impacts, being tough to get the ball off him. He perfectly dominates the ball in those situations and plays fast and easy, allowing his team to play in transition to the wingers attacking the space he has created by dragging center backs out of position. He is clever enough to reads teammate´s movements in order to detect spaces, commonly in a vertical way, provided by his elevated pace. He also possesses good aerial game, and is strong in offensive ground duels, allowing his team to construct plays in advanced positions, by midfielders activating fastly after long throws and winning second plays Chermiti has fought for.

Despite playing an important role when adopting those positions far from rivals' penalty areas, he prefers and becomes much more dangerous when operating around the opponent´s penalty boxes. His movements off the ball inside and near the penalty area are really good, being explosive and unpredictable. He looks for defenders blind side and feints a lot attacking first or second post, obtaining dangerous spots inside the penalty area. Example of that is his elevated stats of touches inside the penalty area, being one of the forwards with more touches in the box per 90 minutes of the whole Primeira Liga. When it comes to finishing, stats show low output, scoring 0.24 goals per 90 minutes less than expected. Moreover, he has shown high quality finishing playing in lower categories, so his inexperience in top leagues may be a key factor to explain that occurrence. He possesses high quality finishing with both feet in one on one situations, and superb heading, which will for sure make him score loads of goals when adapting and getting used to playing at the highest level.

Far from finishing, his technical skills could be improved. He is not the kind of forward who comes to receive and associate with teammates, as his passing is not accurate enough, despite having great vision. In that fact, his decision making in the last third may be another aspect to improve, seeming accelerated and nervous by times. When facing rivals, is a dangerous player in one on one situations in open space, with great change of pass, velocity and ball conduction, whereas he does not feel comfortable in tight spaces, as his ball dominance and coordination are improvable despite having good first touch. What is remarkable in his game is his bravery and determination in all his actions. He is also intense in the defensive phase. Despite not tracking back and remaining as the main reference to provide the possibility of counterattacking, he is an active element in the pressing. Chermiti is a high intensity and insistent player that reads the game well and is aware of rivals positions. That allows him to avoid passing lanes and their advance, being percentile 75 between strikers in passes blocked/90.

Having made his professional debut just four months ago, he is already a key element at a top European club at just 18 years old. Having innate qualities and great attitude, he will surely improve his attributes and become a striker to take into account in the world of football.