MY ACCOUNT
While Everton have nosedived down the table, Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s struggle to stay fit has held back one of their most important players.
The striker has played just six times since August and is a doubt for their huge clash with Newcastle tonight after missing the defeat to Wolves.
There will be interest in Calvert-Lewin, who turned 25 yesterday, wherever Everton end up next term.
We take a look at which sides are ready to take advantage and secure a cut-price deal if the Toffees go down.
Struggle for form
Calvert-Lewin has three goals this season and all of them came in the opening three games of the campaign.
Since returning from injury against Brighton at the turn of the year, he has failed to score in six outings.
It has led to plenty of criticism for the England international, who has not always looked sharp, but Frank Lampard leapt to the defence of his striker following the 5-0 defeat at Tottenham.
Lampard said: “I have to defend Dominic because he was part of a team performance that was not great and he was not at the level he wants to be.
“He knows that. He is an honest lad. He has come back from injury with a real desire to help out.
“There are bits we need to work on to get the level he wants to be. A striker needs sharpness for two reasons — one for what we see when they score the goals, but two for how we want to play.
“To give Dominic credit, we know he is a top player, desperate to come back, But we also know he has not played football for a long time.
“We need to work on that and as soon as we work on his fitness we will see the Dominic we all know who was plundering a lot of goals in the last few seasons.”
Not-so-sharp shooter
A deeper dive into Calvert-Lewin’s stats since his return back up Lampard’s assertion that he is maybe just lacking sharpness.
He netted 16 times in 33 top-flight games last season, compared to none this calendar year.
Yet Calvert-Lewin has had 2.69 shots per 90 minutes since he returned from injury, slightly more than the 2.6 he averaged in the previous season.
Indicative of a side struggling at the wrong end of the table, his passes attempted, completed, aerial duels won and touches are all down from the 2020-21 campaign.
Everton rescue mission
That is partly down to sharpness, but also quite possibly down to pressure.
The Toffees have not been relegated since 1951 and many Evertonians hoped Calvert-Lewin’s return would coincide with an upsurge in form.
Speaking at the start of the month, the forward admitted the burden weighed heavy on his shoulders so soon after a lengthy period out.
Calvert-Lewin said: “There was such a big emphasis on me coming back.
“The results not being great just made me want to return and help the team but I think I set unrealistic expectations of myself and that was difficult to deal with mentally.”
In demand
Previously, there has been talk of Calvert-Lewin costing any interested parties as much as £60million.
Ex-Gunner Perry Groves reckons he would be a good fit in North London. He said: “I would bring in someone like [Dominic] Calvert-Lewin. I think he would fit in perfectly.
“Calvert-Lewin’s attitude is good, he was taught by Carlo Ancelotti and off the ball he can close down and press.”
Arsenal are the biggest club linked with Calvert-Lewin and given Everton’s desire to break into the top six, probably one of the only clubs they would have considered selling him to.
But their potential relegation to the Championship would change everything.
The unthinkable drop
If Everton’s season did end in disaster, there are plenty of Premier League clubs ready to pounce on their prized assets.
And Calvert-Lewin will certainly be near the top of that list.
Buoyed by their Europa League run and in need of a striker, West Ham would certainly be in the mix.
But they might not be able to deal with the financial might of Newcastle, who look like they will keep their spot in the top-flight.
With Callum Wilson injured and Chris Wood the wrong side of 30, there is every chance Calvert-Lewin is playing against his future team-mates tonight.
