Arsenal are reportedly showing an active interest in signing Everton forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin this summer, as per the transfer insider Dean Jones.
It has widely been suggested that the Gunners are set to be busy once again to strengthen their squad this summer as they are planning to continue the rebuild under Mikel Arteta.
Midfield is an area that the North London club are prioritising during the off-season, however, it appears along with the engine room, adding more firepower to the front line is also on Mikel Arteta’s agenda. Arsenal have been linked with a lot of attackers in recent weeks with Calvert-Lewin now emerging as a serious target.
Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones has said that Calvert-Lewin has been on Arsenal’s radar for a very long time and they are ‘genuinely’ interested in signing him at the end of this season.
However, the journalist questions whether the north London club need to spend more to sign another attacker, having already got Gabriel Jesus, Eddie Nketiah, Leandro Trossard and Falorin Balogun – who is set to return after a productive loan stint in Ligue 1 – in the squad.
Calvert-Lewin to Arsenal
Jones said:
“Calvert Lewin genuinely has been looked at; it’s one that they’ve had on their radar for a couple of years now. But, because they’ve got Gabriel Jesus now, because they’ve had Nketiah playing in that role, they’ve also used Trossard in that role, they’ve got Balogun to come back into the fold in the summer, it’s difficult to see why they would go and spend reasonably big money on Calvert-Lewin.”
Calvert-Lewin – valued at around £22m by Transfermarkt – still has more than two years left in his current contract. So, Everton are in a strong position to demand a big fee to let their star man leave this summer if Arsenal opt to formalise their interest.
However, although the 26-year-old is an extremely talented player and possesses the potential to become a world-class attacker, he has been struggling with fitness issues since the beginning of last season, playing only a handful of matches during this period. So, it is surprising to see that he is still getting linked with a top club such as Arsenal.
It will be a huge risk for Arteta’s side to invest anything in Calvert-Lewin, bearing in mind his recent injury history so Arsenal would be better off exploring other options if they decide to strengthen their attack at the end of this season.
