As the long search for strikers continues, Dominic Calvert-Lewin has returned to fitness and training with the Everton squad.
Calvert-Lewin’s endless struggles with injury have been a major factor restricting the ability of this Blues team to make progress over the last few years. It has also contributed to undermining the efforts of several managers too.
We saw what a positive difference a fit DCL can make to this Everton side when he returned to the team late last season, particularly of course that tremendous 5-1 win at Brighton which secured a crucial three points in the relegation battle.
And while there were many factors that led to the Toffees eventually managing to stay up by the skin of their teeth last season – such as Sean Dyche’s impact, Abdoulaye Doucoure’s goals and the improvement in away form – his return in the last few weeks of the season, was surely one.
A fit and healthy Calvert-Lewin offers pace, power and dominance in the air and he provides a critical focal point for the team’s attacking play.
His presence would also allow Dyche to play his favoured 4-5-1 formation most effectively with Calvert-Lewin as a lone centre-forward and others (like Doucoure or new signing Arnaut Danjuma) to play behind and off him.
But, as we all know the chances of DCL staying fit for a full Premier League season are vanishingly small. In fact you would probably get odds that were almost as long as winning the Lottery!
Since the summer transfer window opened, we’ve seen all the usual endless stories and rumours about possible new forwards being signed.
So far though, only Danjuma has arrived and he is a year-long loan signing. Hardly then a long-term solution to the side’s goalscoring problems.
Strangely, justrecently a story emerged that Roma were interested in signing Calvert-Lewin and even that he was keen on the move. It is odd that anyone would want to spend serious money on him though given his injury record
As we saw in January, when it comes to the Toffees, this player and that are alledged to be close to joining and then end up moving on to somewhere else.
The latest example is El Bilal Toure. The Senegal striker has been on Dyche’s radar all summer and even though Everton have been in talks and put an offer on the table, it now seems almost certain he will be an Atalanta player very soon.
I have said before that I think the Blues are in serious danger of missing out again on all their main targets. They need to be more creative in their thinking.
In addition, I believe the constant loaning out of players could be a problem.
Given the paucity of attacking resources and the obvious struggles the club are having in the transfer market, surely Tom Cannon and Lewis Dobbin (who has impressed in pre-season games) need to be given a chance next season?
The bottom line is as we all know, Everton simply cannot afford to go into another campaign dependent on the fitness of a frail and hugely injury-prone Calvert-Lewin.