The inevitable news that Dominic Calvert-Lewin would not be extending his time at Everton was confirmed this week. With his contract due to expire at the end of June and no public progress on an extension, the announcement of his departure was one that caused little surprise.
With Calvert-Lewin leaving, Richarlison and Abdoulaye Doucoure gone, and Michael Keane seemingly set to follow, it means each of the goalscorers from recent relegation escapes against Crystal Palace and Bournemouth are no longer with the club. Their roles - and in particular those goals - deserve gratitude, but simultaneously, their exits can pave the path for a new, upward era.
Calvert-Lewin, Keane and Doucoure all divided opinion. Honest? No doubt. Frustrating? Certainly. The former leaves with a sincere statement and, for most, exceeded expectations for a £1.5m signing from the third tier. Just two players have scored more Premier League goals for Everton.
But Calvert-Lewin’s legacy lies somewhere, muddied, between unfulfilled potential and flash in the pan. Under Carlo Ancelotti, he proved himself as a quality operator, scoring 36 goals over two seasons and breaking into the England set-up.
However, those seasons proved to be the exception, rather than the rule. Injuries, in which he admitted playing through the pain barrier, no doubt held him back, as did an inability to refine his finishing to a consistent standard.
There were rare flashes of the Calvert-Lewin of Ancelotti’s tenure. That header against Crystal Palace combined timing, technique and bravery. In April 2024, he tormented Liverpool in the derby win at Goodison. The usually staunch Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate were visibly unnerved, his performance capped with another magnificent header.
But the numbers underline the inconsistency that plagued him. He scored just three times in the Premier League last season. Beto, in contrast, netted eight goals from 83 fewer minutes. We won’t even get into the well-documented xG underperformance that has followed Calvert-Lewin’s career and supported his social media critics.
So, off he goes in pursuit of a new challenge. Many will wish him well. Others may feel unhappy with the manner of his exit. Both feelings have validity.
Calvert-Lewin has been a fine servant. When fit, he battled as hard as anyone during a challenging period on and off the pitch. Though on the evidence of the last four seasons, his departure is not the blow it might once have been. Instead, it can symbolise a fresh start.
Moyes’s first full season. Squad surgery, unlike anything in recent Premier League memory. The move to Bramley-Moore Dock. Sure, there’s plenty of work to be done before Everton head to Elland Road to face Leeds United on 18 August, but there’s also plenty to be excited about. Let’s see what July brings.
Reader Comments (24)
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2 Posted 30/06/2025 at 12:37:11
3 Posted 30/06/2025 at 12:55:59
Dom is gone. Let's move on.
4 Posted 30/06/2025 at 13:02:46
5 Posted 30/06/2025 at 13:17:59
Where did you hear or read about our interest in back up keeper Hans Kutov?
Do you think this has legs? :-)
6 Posted 30/06/2025 at 13:21:32
The squad urgently needs boosting, from all the above sources.
I hope we can make moves quickly and smartly otherwise the bedding in process will last well into the new season. Please God there's a plan…
7 Posted 30/06/2025 at 13:26:28
If its to meet his European aspirations, I can't see any of the Champions League qualifiers stepping in. Tottenham at a push.
Villa, unless pushed by PSR or the player, wont be selling Watkins.
Forest?
Other than that, I can't see much outside of the promoted teams if he stays in this country.
He might be better off going to the continent.
8 Posted 30/06/2025 at 13:30:38
As a forward, you have to score or be the provider to those who do. Dominic became neither. Unable to play for the majority of the last four seasons when Everton were at their lowest. When they required a dominant scorer, he wasn't. In fact over his career at Everton, he has statistically been deeply disappointing.
Except for the two Ancelotti seasons, Dominic really hasn't had anything to stand up and shout about. Failing to replicate the seasons which saw him drawn into the England fold must be as devastating for him as us.
That he will be mainly thanked for one winning goal against Liverpool shows how his career here has petered out, akin to the club itself.
We move on. So does he. I wish him good fortune.
9 Posted 30/06/2025 at 13:39:31
Ultimately, he has no place in a Top 4 or Top 6 side, which we aspire to be.
10 Posted 30/06/2025 at 13:46:18
Ridiculous.
11 Posted 30/06/2025 at 13:59:49
I see now that they have been linked with Tete. How the hell can they get away with this, when we get penalised for going £19M over?
It seems like the authorities are just looking after the billionaire clubs and sod the rest. It's scandalous.
12 Posted 30/06/2025 at 14:11:49
I felt similarly aggrieved when Forest bought 43 players in two seasons to effectively buy their survival.
How on Earth are United continuing to be linked with mega expensive players when Radcliffe is laying off staff "in order to stave off insolvency"?
The authorities have got to get a grip!
14 Posted 30/06/2025 at 14:51:01
I agree, can't see where he fits in to any Premier League need, bar the 3 promoted clubs.
I doubt Spurs would be interested, with Solanke plus a back-up like Richarlison. Plus they have the money now from Champions League to buy better.
I can see a move to a French club.
15 Posted 30/06/2025 at 15:14:45
Villa are selling their women's team to themselves to get round PSR.
Looks like our management was just not Machiavellian enough at finding ways around these rules.
16 Posted 30/06/2025 at 15:17:52
I know they can only register 25 players in the Premier League squad but perhaps there needs to be some form of limit on the total number a club can register, eg, only allow 25 non-"homegrown" players.
17 Posted 30/06/2025 at 15:25:28
Whisper it quietly, Everton are reported to be considering the same. There is apparently a loophole, but I don't think it will be long before the FA closes it. I don't think this is where I first saw it, but this from the BBC 3 days ago.
Could Everton sell their women's team to help with PSR?
Someone with more knowledge than me will need to examine the details, as I will just confuse myself. But between £60 and £65M revenue generation. Sounds like money laundering, but I'm no financial expert.
Villa are about to make £55M by selling theirs to themselves. I've no idea how it works, but that money will go against the male team's income to help them avoid PSR sanctions.
18 Posted 30/06/2025 at 15:28:59
19 Posted 30/06/2025 at 15:49:04
Good for us.
Time to move on for both parties.
20 Posted 30/06/2025 at 16:33:05
New striker needed and think we might hear soon. I have a feeling that Beto might excel as the main man and perhaps Chermiti might step up.
Days of optimism, indeed. Bring it on, our time is coming.
21 Posted 30/06/2025 at 19:54:27
We have no squad! We can't go and buy the number of quality players we require. We are in flux and Keane is better than Doucoure and Calvert-Lewin combined.
As for Chelsea, Forest etc if they do that, they still have to come in under PSR. Chelsea are bending every rule and sliding through every loophole. If players want to sign and not play, that's their right.
We have to do better than them and be an attraction.
22 Posted 30/06/2025 at 20:40:04
- play in Saudi for upwards of £300k p/w (Ivan Toney gets £400k pw);
- go to a Champions League club (or Champions League contender) in England or elsewhere and be a well-paid option from the bench;
- go to the Bundesliga, Serie A, La Liga or even Turkey etc for a decent wage and a fancy lifestyle;
- go to a more modest Premier League club to get as many games as possible.
23 Posted 01/07/2025 at 08:14:28
IMO, although he started quite well and excelled with Carlo, he hasn't kept up with the pace and skill level on the turf (ground) and, particularly, one-on-one positions.
He seemed to lack confidence in this essential aspect of the game during the past few seasons.
24 Posted 01/07/2025 at 08:34:09
25 Posted 01/07/2025 at 10:07:40
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1 Posted 30/06/2025 at 11:58:11
I think offering him a new contract would be like signing a very good goalkeeper who had just had both hands amputated.