‘Man United backed to offer Dominic Calvert-Lewin pay-as-you-play contract’
Man United could sign free agent striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin on a special deal following his Everton exit this summer.
The Sheffield-born striker left Everton at the end of his contract in June after Football Insider had revealed that the Toffees were resigned to losing Calvert-Lewin after he rejected multiple new extension offers.
Numerous injuries significantly reduced his playing time on Merseyside over the last few years, but he can be a top Premier League forward when in-form, with his best goal return coming in 2020/21 as he netted 16 times in 33 league appearances.
Football Insider recently revealed that Newcastle and Fulham are among the teams interested in Calvert-Lewin as he weighs up his options this summer, while former West Ham scout Mick Brown has told Football Insider that the Irons have also considered a move to sign the ex-Everton forward.
The 28-year-old is clearly not short of options right now with the new Premier League season less than a month away, and Man United have now also been mooted to take advantage of his free agent status and bolster their forward line.
Gabby Agbonlahor tells Man United to sign Calvert-Lewin
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness has told Football Insider that he expects the Red Devils to sign Calvert-Lewin this summer having missed out on numerous striker targets, with Viktor Gyokeres set to join Arsenal and Hugo Ekitike recently moving to Liverpool.
Speaking live on talkSPORT on Friday, 25 July, former footballer and current pundit Gabby Agbonlahor also tipped United to make a move for the 28-year-old, but on a pay-as-you-play deal contract due to his troubled injury history, saying: “People will not agree with me on this, but why not go and get Calvert-Lewin? He’s on a free transfer, you (can) offer him a deal where, if he plays he is getting paid decent money, if he’s not (playing) then he’s not getting that money.”
Calvert-Lewin would be a solid signing for United if he kept fit
Football Insider verdict
Everton have not been a great club for any striker to be at in recent times, with Iliman Ndiaye being the only player that has netted double figures in all competitions across a single term for the Toffees in the last three seasons after bagging 11 goals in 2024/25.
Calvert-Lewin did display his pedigree as a great top-flight forward in certain spells across his time on Merseyside though, and he has earned 11 caps for England, so clearly has the talent to be a top striker when he is trusted to be the main man up-front.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 273 | 71 | 22 |
It is obviously unlikely that he would join the Red Devils to be Amorim’s first-choice, but a role off the bench when they need a more physical presence would surely be one that suits all parties.
His previous fitness and injury issues will be the main reason for United not to sign him, but if he is handed a contract that provides an incentive for him to stay out of the treatment room, then it feels like a pretty low-risk move after they signed Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford, and with the likes of Matheus Cunha, Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee also on their books.