Dominic Calvert-Lewin to Newcastle United? I find this all a bit bizarre…

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been regularly linked with Newcastle United for a number of years.

The latest example was late this week.

With The Telegraph and others saying their information is that Dominic Calvert-Lewis is Eddie Howe’s top centre-forward target, with also supposedly Jarrod Bowen on the list of wide attacking players Newcastle United would like to bring in this summer.

I totally get Jarrod Bowen, he has done really well and looks set to be on the plane to Germany this summer as part of the England squad.

The Hammers star has managed 22 direct goal involvements in the Premier League, scoring 16 and getting six assists. In these past three seasons, 34 PL goals and 21 assists, plus Bowen’s availability has also been excellent, involved in all but six of West Ham’s 114 Premier League matches in these last three seasons.

With Lucas Paqueta’s situation looking grim due to the serious charges from The FA, I would say quite clearly Bowen is West Ham’s biggest and most valuable asset as things stand. Most other Premier League clubs would love to him, the only ‘small’ problem is West Ham desperate to keep him and even if the player wanted to leave, how high the transfer fee demands would be.

Then we have Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

The way the reporting is AND the Newcastle United fan reaction is to it, is quite surreal, or at least it appears to be so to me.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin seen as a direct replacement for Callum Wilson.

What’s more, this is very much welcomed by the vast majority of Newcastle United fans, from what I have seen and heard.

These past three seasons, we have the following stats for the two strikers:

Callum Wilson – 69 Premier League appearances (46 starts, 23 as a sub) scoring 35 goals

Dominic Calvert-Lewin – 66 Premier League appearances (56 starts, 10 as a sub) scoring 14 goals

When it comes to number of PL minutes these past three seasons:

Callum Wilson – 4,234 Premier League minutes, scoring on average a goal every 120 minutes.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin – 4,651 Premier League minutes, scoring on average a goal every 332 minutes.

The stats are very similar over the last three years in terms of premier League appearances and minutes on the pitch BUT very different when it comes to… scoring goals.

When it comes to goal per PL minutes, Callum Wilson almost three times as prolific as Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

It isn’t even like the Everton striker has a great history of providing assists, Callum Wilson has more Premier League assists these past three seasons than Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

The thing is as well, if Dominic Calvert-Lewin was some kind of cheap and cheerful option to take a risk on, with Newcastle banking a fortune for Callum Wilson, then maybe I could see some kind of sense in these media claims and the hopes of so many Newcastle fans.

However, in these media reports in recent days, they are all talking about Dominic Calvert-Lewin not coming cheap, that Everton would expect a big offer to land him.

I think there are two things here.

Callum Wilson is very much under appreciated by many Newcastle United fans.

Plus, these same fans seem to think it would be relatively easy and cost effective to find a goalscorer to do as good a job as Callum Wilson.

I find it laughable.

Callum Wilson is a top class goalscorer and Newcastle United are lucky to have him, lucky that at his stage of his career AND with his injuries, he is happy to play number two to first choice Alexander Isak.

Bringing in a striker who has a record of scoring goals as regularly as Callum Wilson AND with a great record of availability, you will be talking £50m-£60m. Then why would a striker like this, be happy to sit on the bench as Newcastle’s number two?

I find it amusing as well that some Newcastle fans will go on an one about Callum Wilson’s unavailability for matches BUT yet also assume that another club will then pay a massive amount for such a forward who turns 33 during next season!

As I said, Newcastle United very lucky to have Callum Wilson as a back up striker. Whilst anybody who honestly thinks Dominic Calvert-Lewis would increase Newcastle’s goal threat over an above Wilson’s… quite staggering. Even more so if you are happy to see Callum Wilson sold and two or three times that amount spent on Calvert-Lewin, who turns 28 during next season.