Arsenal’s new transfer plan is bad news for Everton
Arsenal want to revamp their attacking options this summer and Everton standout Dominic Calvert-Lewin is now at the top of the Gunners’ shopping list.
Mikel Arteta is not making any secret of his desire to find an upgrade over Alexandre Lacazette this summer. The French hitman’s days in North London are numbered and the Gunners want to replace him with Everton ace Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
According to Teamtalk, Arsenal are prepared to pay “upwards of £50 million” for the young English striker. Carlo Ancelotti’s recent decision to walk away from Everton to return to Real Madrid have Calvert-Lewin’s future up in the air. There were strong rumours earlier this summer that Ancelotti might want to bring Calvert-Lewin to Spain, but the Gunners’ emergence as a strong suitor might shift the player’s thinking considerably.
Calvert-Lewin leaving Everton at this stage of his career is a disaster for Everton no matter where he ends up. The club are still searching for Ancelotti’s managerial replacement at the moment. Adding a search for a top-quality striker in the same summer could be too much for the higher-ups at Goodison Park.
How does Calvert-Lewin fit at Arsenal?
Arteta’s desire to integrate Calvert-Lewin into his squad is easy to understand. He’s not the finished article as a finisher, but his impressive combination of athleticism and work rate will appeal strongly to the Arsenal boss. In many ways, Calvert-Lewin excels everywhere Lacazette fell short for the Gunners.
The question that must still be answered is whether or not Arsenal can survive a potential bidding war for the English centre forward. The looming presence of a big club like Real Madrid could tempt Everton to hold an open bidding war. Of course, the Toffees would prefer to ship Calvert-Lewin out of the country if all financial considerations are equal.
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That means Arsenal need to strike strongly and quickly if they want to clinch a deal for their ideal striker target. Calvert-Lewin may never lead the league in scoring due to his lack of elite finishing skills, but the Gunners don’t need him to dominate their score sheet. They just need him to do his part to make life easier for Pierre-Emerick Aubemeyang and the rest of the squad’s talented attacking corps.