Luton striker could be Calvert-Lewin replacement at Everton

Media reports had been constant over the last few days that Newcastle United want to sign the Everton player and former England international.

Then came news that the Magpies no longer had any interest after all in trying to do a deal for Calvert-Lewin and the transfer was in fact dead in the water.

Conflicting stories have though continued to surface which seem to indicate the deal might actually still be on.

So, we do not really know exactly where we are with this one and until there is final confirmation one way or another from the clubs, I supposed we won't.

Regardless though of whether this transfer is going to happen, the Blues still have a decision to make about what to do with Calvert-Lewin.

He has been offered a new deal but has so far refused to sign it and will leave on a free transfer next summer if he doesn't, something Everton cannot really afford to allow to happen.

Were he to be sold this summer, none of the other strikers in Sean Dyche's first-team squad look capable of replacing him. Neither Beto, Youssef Chermiti or the returning Neal Maupay offer any confidence.

If the club were to sell, are there any other centre-forwards who might be able to step in and replicate Calvert-Lewin's contribution and maybe improve upon his goal numbers too, which have declined considerably in recent campaigns.

For now the club has to be prudent and while it may seem to some as though Everton are aiming too low, in truth until the club's finances are sorted out properly and/or a new owner is in place, the Toffees will not be shopping in the top tier of the transfer market.

Finding players who can consistently score goals, especially at the top level, has always been the most difficult challenge, but there are a number of strikers around, particularly from the just-relegated sides and in the Championship who may be worth a closer look.

One such player might be Carlton Morris of Luton Town. Morris of course played Premier League football last season and netted eleven times for the eventually relegated Hatters, which was a better return than Calvert-Lewin who managed eight goals.

The 28-year-old centre-forward is very similar to Calvert-Lewin in age, stature and in strengths being able to play up top on his own, is good in the air and a physically powerful player.

While he might not be the first-choice to replace Everton's current starting centre-forward, Morris is proven Premier League goal-scorer and would certainly be an affordable option to consider if the Blues needed a player to take Calvert-Lewin's place up front, at least for the short-term.