Serie A side AS Roma want to sign Everton‘s England striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin on a loan deal with an obligation to buy.
i understands Everton are “aware” of interest in Calvert-Lewin but have no interest in loaning out one of their key strikers.
A Toffees source said the forward remained “very much part of the club’s plans” and efforts are focused on recruiting players capable of easing the goalscoring burden on Calvert-Lewin rather than selling their senior striker.
Roma‘s interest comes as they face the prospect of starting next season without injured Tammy Abraham and it would be an admittedly opportunistic move after two injury-plagued seasons for Calvert-Lewin.
Any proposal from Italy would be initially be a loan move with possible sporting obligations built into it – such as playing a percentage of games or Roma qualifying for the Champions League.
Even though Everton continue to be constricted by Financial Fair Play constraints are working on a strict budget this summer which may make further sales inevitable, it’s difficult to see any motivation for them to agree such a deal.
Indeed there is understood to be fresh optimism at Goodison Park about finding funds to land the striker they desperately need, with a £23m move for Almeria’s highly-rated El Bilal Toure highlighting some flexibility in the market.
The club agreed a fee with Almeria over the weekend but now expect Mali forward Bilal Toure to move to Atalanta, who can offer Europa League football next season. Work is “ongoing” on alternative targets, i understands.
Everton also have an ongoing interest in Leeds United‘s Wilfried Gnonto and remain in contact with the Championship side about the striker.
But, unlike some of their other stars who have left following relegation, Leeds are in a stronger negotiating position with Gnonto who has no exit clause in his contract.
Brokering a deal for a forward before the start of the season will be pivotal for the Toffees, who only stayed up on the final day of last season.
They only scored 34 goals all season and have subsequently sold Ellis Simms to Coventry, leaving them with just out-of-favour Neal Maupay, youngster Lewis Dobbin and Calvert-Lewin as recognised strikers.
New signing Arnaut Danjuma will help plug the gap but prefers to play off the striker while Abdoulaye Doucoure is set to be used in a deeper role next term.
Calvert-Lewin has recovered from the hamstring injury that ruled him out of Everton’s final two fixtures of the campaign but is yet to play a minute during pre-season as Sean Dyche continues his “softly-softly” approach with the forward.
The club built a programme around the striker after Dyche was appointed at the turn of the year and felt he was fitter than ever when he returned in the relegation run-in, only for him to suffer another injury that ruled him out of Everton’s nervy relegation denouement.
Calvert-Lewin subsequently reported back early for pre-season to start strength and conditioning work and there is quiet confidence that with careful management he can avoid some of the issues that have hampered him over the last couple of years.
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