Eddie Howe is clearly a fan of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and would love to have him at Newcastle United.
While a lot of Toon fans have not been enthused about rumours of Dominic Calvert-Lewin joining the Magpies, Eddie Howe must see something in him.
He wanted Calvert-Lewin in the summer of 2022, and it looked like he was finally going to get him two years later. Newcastle were initially confident about signing the striker from Everton, only for the deal to collapse.
Calvert-Lewin’s move to St James’ Park is now off, with Newcastle unwilling to meet Everton’s asking price.
The Callum Wilson replacement that the Magpies identified has proven to be too expensive, which is exactly what Eddie Howe warned them about.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin price proves Eddie Howe right
A move away from St James’ Park feels likely for Callum Wilson this summer. He is starting to attract a lot of interest, with West Ham and clubs in Saudi Arabia keen.
Given the fact he is 32-years-old, is continuing to struggle with injury and has just one year left on his contract, it makes sense for Newcastle to cash in now. But that will mean signing a replacement, as there is no way that the Magpies can go into the season with just Alexander Isak in the striker department.
That is why Calvert-Lewin was identified, but a rumoured fee of £37million is too much for Newcastle. This is exactly what Howe was worried about earlier this year, when the media quizzed him about Wilson possibly leaving this summer.
“If you lose a player of that quality, to then find a player of equal standard will cost the club a lot of money,” he told BBC Sport.
“That’s always the big talking point about any business we do in the summer. If you lose a player, how can you replace him with the same quality with Financial Fair Play implications around the corner?”
Newcastle thought they might get a bargain from Everton
Howe’s fear is a fair one, but the club understandably thought that Calvert-Lewin would prove him wrong.
While there have been a lot of reservations, he could have been a decent replacement for Wilson. He is five years younger, and has done a better job at proving his fitness than the current Newcastle number nine.
On top of that, his Everton contract expires in 2025, meaning that the Toffees are running out of time to cash in on the striker if he is not going to sign a new deal.
Therefore, Newcastle probably thought there was a sniff of a bargain. However, that has not proven to be the case.
Even Calvert-Lewin, a player who most Newcastle fans do not want, is too expensive for the club this summer. That just proves how difficult it is going to be to replace Wilson.
Newcastle had the same problem with Calvert-Lewin in 2022
In truth, it is staggering to see that Calvert-Lewin was going to cost more than £30million. This is a player whose stock has dropped drastically in recent years, with the forward boasting just 15 goals across the previous three seasons.
When you look at it like that, you wonder why the Magpies were trying to sign him in the first place. But he is someone who Howe could make better, and possibly bring him back to the level he was at between 2019 and 2021.
But Everton are pricing Calvert-Lewin out of a move to Tyneside, just like they did in 2022.
That summer, Newcastle looked really likely to sign Calvert-Lewin, only for Everton to demand £60million. At the time, that would have made him the Magpies’ most expensive signing ever, and they walked away.
They bought Isak for similar money, and he has proven himself to be a world class talent, while Calvert-Lewin has regressed. Yet his value has only dropped by about £20million, despite having just 12 months to run on his contract.
Everton’s asking price is too much for Newcastle, as Howe’s striker fears continue to haunt him.
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