Everton boss Frank Lampard has already outlined his masterplan to get the best out of Dominic Calvert-Lewin amid reports linking the striker with a summer transfer.
The Telegraph have claimed that Newcastle have a heavy interest in signing the striker from the Toffees this summer, while furhter reports assert that Calvert-Lewin, alongside Everton attacking colleague Richarlison, are on Arsenal 's watchlist.
Calvert-Lewin had a poor 2021/22 campaign, although it was largely affected by injuries, scoring five goals and making just 17 Premier League appearances. The former Sheffield United forward also missed out on this month’s England squad for UEFA Nations League meetings with Hungary (away and home), Germany (away) and Italy (home), with the trip to Hungary on Saturday ending in a 1-0 defeat.
Everton narrowly avoided relegation under Lampard, who succeeded Rafael Benitez earlier this year, winning 3-2 against Crystal Palace on home soil in their penultimate game of the season. Calvert-Lewin’s injury issues have meant that since Lampard’s arrival, the striker started just nine of the final 18 league games of the season.
The Everton manager is a big fan of Calvert-Lewin and, prior to the end of the 2021/22 season, expressed a desire to make him part of his long-term plans with the Toffees.
"He is a fantastic striker, the pedigree of striker that there aren't many around,” Lampard told the Liverpool Echo. “It's been unfortunate for me, I think, that I haven’t had him fit. “[There have been] little moments of fitness, but we know that strikers - particularly out of any position - probably need runs of games and fitness and confidence.
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"We've never been able to get that for Dominic to be fair to him. But yeah, he's a huge player, they are not very common. He is contracted to us, three years left on his contract, and I want to take this club forward and players like Dominic help that. I know he hasn't been playing at the minute because he's been getting fit, but now he's fit, so hopefully he will contribute in the last few games for starters and then he's our player."
The latest reports suggest that Everton are not willing to sell Calvert-Lewin to a direct rival this summer, suggesting that the Magpies’ chances of signing the 11-cap England international are slim.
Having arrived from Sheffield United in 2016, Calvert-Lewin has spent the past six seasons at Everton, playing 191 times for the club in all competitions.
In that time, the Newcastle and Arsenal-linked striker has made 164 Premier League appearances and scored 45 goals, averaging a goal every 240 minutes in England’s top-flight so far in his career.
During the 2020/21 term, Calvert-Lewin notched 21 times in 39 appearances in all competitions, his best-ever season return for goals as a senior professional.
While Newcastle are likely to miss out on signing Calvert-Lewin, they are still hopeful of completing a move worth up to £36million to bring in France Under-20 striker Hugo Ekitike from Stade de Reims, although the deal still has plenty of work to be done.
