Calvert-Lewin doubts raised already as Leeds United told they should have got West Ham man
Leeds United are closing in on a deal to sign former Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, but not everyone is happy.
The Whites headed into the summer window needing a new centre-forward, but Leeds failed in their pursuit to sign Rodrigo Muniz from Fulham.
Daniel Farke was keen on adding a Premier League-proven striker to his attack, and Calvert-Lewin fits this bill, although is seen as an underwhelming addition by many.
Calvert-Lewin will join on a free transfer, but one former Leeds striker has expressed his doubts over the 28-year-old.
Ross McCormack questions Calvert-Lewin deal
Former Leeds striker Ross McCormack knows all about scoring goals at Elland Road, but he is not convinced that Calvert-Lewin can be the striker the Whites need.
Speaking to talkSPORT (14 August), the former Scotland forward questioned Calvert-Lewin’s fitness record, and claimed that new West Ham attacker Callum Wilson should have been targeted instead.
“Sometimes a change of environment does a lot for players,” he stated.
| Stat | Calvert-Lewin | Wilson |
| Appearances (starts) | 26 (19) | 18 (2) |
| Goals | 3 | 0 |
| Assists | 2 | 0 |
“He might go there, feel fresh, feel alive again. He might have felt maybe he was going a little bit stale at Everton towards the end, in the last couple of years.
“But, if he’s fit, he will get chances. But, you know, it’s just whether he can stay fit and take those chances.
“I think for me, if I was going to go down that route, I would probably have preferred, I’ve said this before, that I would have liked Leeds to have gone and got Callum Wilson.”
Calvert-Lewin and Wilson’s fitness records are red flags
Given that fans were possibly expecting a ready-made striker in Muniz to arrive, both Calvert-Lewin and Wilson would have been seen as underwhelming for the same reasons.
Calvert-Lewin started 19 Premier League games for Everton last season, with a hamstring issue continuing to plague him, and he managed just three goals in this time.
This was still a much better record than Wilson managed at Newcastle though, as the 33-year-old started in just two of his 18 league appearances and did not score a single goal.
Both strikers have had injury issues and have failed to regularly find the back of the net in recent seasons, but Calvert-Lewin arrives as the player with the better fitness and goal record from last season.
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