It’s been a torrid campaign so far for Everton who recently sacked manager Rafael Benitez.
They are expected to replace him with former Chelsea boss Frank Lampard, yet it remains to be seen whether his anticipated arrival will have the desired effect in terms of guiding the Toffees away from the relegation zone.
Even if he does, it seems unlikely that the Merseysiders will be able to keep hold of some of their prized assets in the summer, and already several Premier League clubs are being linked with key Everton players.
This week, it’s been forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin who has been dominating transfer talk, with Arsenal and Newcastle United reportedly set to submit bids this summer.
The 24-year-old is contracted at Goodison Park until 2025, meaning his signature wouldn’t come cheap. However, reckless spending from the Toffees across these past few years has left them shackled from an FFP perspective.
To loosen those restraints, it’s more than likely that the Merseysiders will need to sell at least one of their big squad assets, making Calvert-Lewin a realistic target.
Since signing for the Toffees in 2016, he has been steadily developing year on year into a top well-rounded centre-forward. He’s spent most of this season sidelined with a thigh injury, however, it was last season where he was able to produce his best form.
The England international scored 21 goals in total, 16 of which came in the league. And strikingly none of his 16 strikes came via the penalty spot.
In the Premier League, only Harry Kane’s 19 non-penalty goals could better the Everton forward’s return. Additionally, it’s worth noting that at Spurs, the England captain was presented with more shots (3.9) on average per 90 compared to Calvert-Lewin (2.5).
Beyond the goals, Calvert-Lewin has an excellent physical profile, making him a real handful for opposition defences.
One of his most promising physical assets is undoubtedly his height. He stands at 6ft2in and has a mammoth leap, a feature that helped him score the second-most headed goals across Europe’s top five leagues last season.
He also has an excellent work rate, always willing to press and harry defenders when his side are without the ball.
Based on his age and ability, it’s easy to see why so many Premier League clubs are after him. But for those same reasons, it also seems insane if United didn’t also make a move for the forward.
United look almost certain to lose Edinson Cavani in the summer, whilst Cristiano Ronaldo will be heading into the final year of his current deal.
This means United will need one, maybe even two new forwards ahead of the new campaign.
Calvert-Lewin would tick plenty of boxes from a United perspective, and the club would almost certainly appeal more to the forward than either Arsenal or Newcastle.
Therefore for all the reasons stated above, the 24-year-old should be made a primary target for the Reds this summer.
