Fan Opinion | The DCL Dilemma: Stick or twist?

Everton’s pre-season is well under way, 4 games down 3 to go with the Toffees drawing against Sligo, losing to Salford/Coventry & then getting their first win on Saturday against Preston. in terms of actual pre-season results, aren’t ones to actually be drawn on usually, ideally yes EFC win every game they compete in, but it’s all about getting minutes back in the legs & gaining match Sharpness. However one EFC player in particular is currently under the microscope over performances thus far, that player is Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The number 9 is out of contract next summer and yet to sign fresh terms despite being offered a luxurious new contract to stay at the club, whilst before Saturdays penalty was also having a torrid time in front of goal during those games, this has got EFC fans talking & asking the same question ‘stick or twist?’.

Calvert-Lewin looks to have put his *major* injury issues behind him last season, playing 32 out of 38 league games last season, netting 7 goals, including 4 in his last 9 appearances at the end of the season. DCL is EFC’s 4^th highest league scorer in the premier league era, with 54 goals in 213 appearances, 2 behind Tim Cahill & 6 behind Everton hero Duncan Ferguson. So whilst Calvert-Lewin is so high in the goal scoring ranks for EFC, a club frequently starved of regular goal scoring ‘number 9’s’ over last 20 odd years (bar the exceptional Romelu Lukaku) he often doesn’t get the same type of love that many others on that list, why?

It’s a weird one, injuries haven’t helped his case in recent years with some frustration coming out from more of a place of desperation from fans, as DCL spent months missing whilst Everton struggled badly in front of goal & just general performances on the pitch. Whilst injuries aren’t his fault, think he’d be the first to say how much of a torrid time that was for him, the contract talks are in his hands and the delays aren’t helping EFC’s window plans. Think it always sparks frustration when a player does this amongst the fan base, it’s seen as really a smack in the face isn’t it? Like a “what you think you’re too good for OUR football club!?” especially after he’s had not the *greatest* year finishing wise, being one of the highest underperforming strikers in the league, in regards to his underperforming xG levels. On top of the poor year in front of goal, his supposed contract demands are ruffling feathers as a good chunk of supporters laugh at the cheek of the rumoured demands, supposedly asking to be one of if not the highest paid EFC player on 135 thousand pounds a week. It feels very much to me, like it’s more frustration out of audacity towards the player, if you were firing on all cylinders delivering every week & taking a better amount of your chances…would there be this much sort of commotion if a player in his prime years assesses his options away from a club future uncertainty on & off the pitch?

It had looked early on in the window that DCL was already on his way out to Newcastle in a PSR type deal which would have essentially been a cash swap deal seeing Yankuba Minteh coming to Goodison Park. Differing reports came out post that move collapsing, some say DCL’s wage demands killed it, others say Newcastle’s inability to offload Callum Wilson was the main reason.

I’ve seen 4 options really amongst fan base as to what they’d like to see, because the uncertainty over it all is certainly casting a bit of a shadow on an overall positive start to EFC’s summer business;

Give DCL a deadline to sign the contract offered to him by Everton, if not signed by said deadline then take that as it’s not ever going to be signed & move ahead with pushing to find a new club for him.
He hasn’t actually rejected the contract, keep him & hope that during the season he decides to pledge his future & sign it.
Keep even if he doesn’t resign & makes that clear, he’s of huge importance to how Sean Dyche wants to play, and although it means him leaving on a free, EFC have their striker for the season instead of a panic buy late in the window.
Rescind the contract offer now, enough is enough push immediately to try find a buyer, EFC cannot stand still in hopes for a player to dally any longer.

It’s tough in honesty, I think the manager would prefer to keep him as he’s clearly the undisputed favourite in his position with Beto remaining ‘unconvincing’ to say the least & Chermiti still relatively new to first team football. It gives EFC that comfort of knowing they have a ST that they’re comfortable & confident with, one less position of need to worry about for this window. Personally (and know people don’t like hearing it) don’t think it can be understated enough of how much of an importance DCL is to this Everton side, and Sean Dyche knows that.

However it’s an opportunity for pure profit for a club that famously struggles with PSR regulations, potentially keeping them in a strong negotiating point next summer if the club need to sell Jarrad Branthwaite for example.

I think they’re the two biggest factors of each side in honesty, I know some say “he’s performed bad & not good enough!” as an option, but it’s something I don’t agree with at all, Everton are a better side when Dominic Calvert-Lewin plays, and it’s why we were all desperate to get him back when he was injured.

For me personally? It’s tough, on one hand I want him to stay & just be Everton’s number 9, getting confidence back in front of goal whilst being a very very good player for the way we play.

On the other? I don’t think EFC can allow 20-25mill of pure profit slip through their fingers in these grim PSR deadline yearly reviews…so I’d personally take the control back if I was Thelwell n co, set the deadline & explain that the club can’t just stand still & wait any longer for this decision. I know it’s not as straight forward as “fine we’re going to sell you” but similar to Iwobi last season, they cannot let potential cash flow, walk for nothing (and that’s me saying that as a big DCL fan for us)

I think it’s going to be one of those grim situations that lingers all the way to the final weeks of the window, leaving a huge cloud of uncertainty over the summer business. The longer it goes on, the more frustration will build from supporters, it’s something that needs sorting & not kicking down the road, as difficult as that can be.