Everton stalwart could agree exit in January amid Newcastle, West Ham interest

There is a ‘possibility’ that Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin could agree a pre-contract deal with Fiorentina in January, per TEAMtalk sources.

The England international is out of contract at the end of the season and will be able to open pre-contract talks with foreign clubs from January 1st, ahead of a potential free transfer next summer.

AC Milan have also been linked with Calvert-Lewin but they are not actively pursuing a move for the Everton striker at this stage.

TEAMtalk understands that Newcastle are also attentive to the situation and would be interested in signing Calvert-Lewin on a free transfer.

The Magpies were close to signing the 27-year-old this past summer and there were no issues on Everton’s side, but they were unable to agree terms with Calvert-Lewin. The forward was demanding a salary significantly north of £100,000 per week and Newcastle weren’t willing to match that. Newcastle have always been very tight on their wage structure and that won’t change, but they could revisit the situation should Calvert-Lewin not pen a contract extension with Everton.

If Calvert-Lewin’s demands had not been so high, it’s likely he’d already be a Newcastle player, as effectively everything was agreed with the Toffees.

Fiorentina are in the running to sign Calvert-Lewin at this stage but Newcastle remain ones to watch, while sources suggest West Ham could also join the race in the coming months.

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West Ham are keeping tabs on Calvert-Lewin

West Ham are keen to sign a new striker in the coming months and Calvert-Lewin is on their shortlist of targets, along with Lille striker Jonathan David, who is also out of contract next summer.

The biggest name on West Ham’s radar is Aston Villa star Jhon Duran, who they missed out on this past summer despite offering around £35million plus add-ons for him.

Villa wanted around £45million and the Hammers ultimately decided against a move. Duran has since been in superb form for Villa and it seems they may have missed the boat for him. Calvert-Lewin could, therefore, be an alternative option they look at.

Everton find themselves in a difficult situation as they have eight first-team players who will be out of contract next summer, as well as having four players on loan, who they’ll have to decide whether to sign permanently.

Everton’s new owners, The Friedkin Group, are yet to hold talks with Calvert-Lewin over a contract extension, but may address the situation in the New Year, especially knowing the striker can pre-agree a deal with another club.

TEAMtalk understands that Everton are more inclined to keep hold of Calvert-Lewin and risk losing him on a free, rather than sell him for a cut-price fee in January.

Despite scoring just two goals this term, he remains a key player for Sean Dyche and has featured all 17 of Everton’s Premier League games so far.

Friedkin Group are in the process of a ‘100-day review’ at Everton

The Friedkin Group are not planning to make any major changes at Everton in the next few weeks. TFG are in the process of conducting a 100-day review of the club, as they did at Roma when they took charge, and won’t make any hasty decisions.

Everton’s sporting director Kevin Thelwell will be given backing in the January transfer window – but the Toffees will have to be careful with transfers and ensure they don’t breach the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR), as they did last season.

TFG have put the club in a more stable position financially, since all Everton’s debt is now owed to blue-chip lenders, but that doesn’t mean they can make big-money signings or offer huge wages to players.

They could look at potential contract extensions for the likes of Calvert-Lewin in the coming months. The feeling is that the striker wants to assess his options in January and is unlikely to commit to a new deal at Everton, at least for now.

The summer transfer window will be a lot busier than January for Everton but there is a good chance a couple of financially-savvy additions could be made this winter.

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