Man United don’t appear to have finished spending in the current transfer window, but news that they’ve been discussing a striker that’s been out for 267 days over the past two seasons is unlikely to placate a fan base keen to banish the memories of a poor 2023/24 campaign.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has backed Erik ten Hag in the transfer market with the captures of Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro.
Deals for Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui are expected to be rubber stamped on Tuesday too.
All four signings speak of a hierarchy completely in tune with their manager’s vision, and that’s not often been the case at Old Trafford.
Man United have discussed a move for Dominic Calvert-Lewin
What’s odd indeed then is news via Sky Sports that the Red Devils have spoken about Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
It’s clear that United do need a striker who is a guarantee of goals, and whilst the club will hope that Zirkzee is that man, a lack of Premier League experience may mean that he’ll take time to settle into his new role.
In the right club and environment, Calvert-Lewin could finally become the type of finisher that he’s threatened to be throughout his career, without quite getting there yet.
As transfermarkt note, however, those 267 days injured would certainly make any potential purchasers wary of recruiting him.
Illness, general fitness – or more accurately a lack of it, a broken cheekbone and a hamstring injury have all been cited as reasons for his absences.
It’s also worth dwelling on the fact that he’s been playing in an Everton side that have been poor over the past couple of seasons too, and Calvert-Lewin has rarely changed that status quo even when fit.
The report notes that the transfer of a striker isn’t a priority at present, though given Calvert-Lewin is in the last 12 months of his current deal with the Toffees, he could represent either a value for money capture in January or a free capture next summer.