Everton have now told forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin that he can leave this summer.
The striker, who joined the Blues for £1.5m from Sheffield United in 2016, has suffered with injuries for a couple of seasons now and has reportedly been advised that he can leave Goodison Park.
That is according to Football Transfers, who report that the England international is one of a number of high-profile players who have been advised they are free to leave this summer.
Indeed, the report also states that goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and midfielder Alex Iwobi are also free to move on, with West Ham United interested in the latter.
Everton may need to raise funds in order to financially support Sean Dyche’s transfer plans this summer, and the ‘fantastic’ Calvert-Lewin could be used to generate capital.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has much more to give at Everton, but injuries are inhibiting both player and club
The 26-year-old was admired be ex-Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti, who said he was a ‘lucky man’ for having a forward that consisted of DCL and Brazil international Richarlison back in 2021.
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Of course, Richarlison has since been sold to Spurs in a £60m deal and Carlo Ancelotti made a surprise return to Real Madrid in the summer of 2021, and now it seems that Calvert-Lewin may also depart Merseyside.
The Everton forward was available for just 17 Premier League games last season, scoring twice, and his absence from the squad massively inhibited the club’s firepower.
There is no doubt that DCL is a quality player, though his injury woes have stunted his potential and limited Everton’s goalscoring prowess.
However, should he rediscover his fitness, his strength and aerial presence would be ideally suited to Sean Dyche’s style of play.
Everton are linked with a move for Leicester City forward Jamie Vardy, who could be a shrewd signing as an impact player, though given his age he should not be considered a replacement for Dominic Calvert-Lewin.