Everton have received a message from majority owner David Sullivan over a possible deal with West Ham, according to transfer reporter Alex Crook. West Ham and Everton have shared a lot of column inches this transfer window. The Hammers and Toffees have expressed mutual interest in a number of players. West Ham and Everton are reportedly competing to sign Lyon centre-back Jake O’Brien. The Hammers are attempting to hijack Everton’s pursuit of Jackson Tchatchoua, a Cameroon international defender-turned-winger.
Both clubs were also interested in Jaden Philogene before he re-signed with Villa. It has been more than a week since West Ham notified Hammers News that the club’s priority is now to recruit a striker. A deal could be in the cards between the Hammers and the Toffees. Since then, West Ham has had Villa striker Jhon Duran as one of its key goals.
But the club officially told Hammers News over the weekend that the West Ham board will not pay Villa’s £35 million asking price for Duran. Unless Aston Villa significantly lowers their price, the deal will not go through. That has shifted West Ham’s focus to Everton, and specifically Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Calvert-Lewin is confirmed to be on West Ham United’s striker shortlist.
He is on the radar of head coach Julen Lopetegui and technical director Tim Steidten, as are Youssef En-Nesyri, Armando Broja, and Duran. Now, Alex Crook has forwarded a note from David Sullivan to Everton regarding a West Ham transaction. Unlike Villa, Everton was regarded to be far more open to making a decent deal with the Hammers for their striker.
Crook relays Sullivan’s message to Everton about the West Ham transaction.
Especially since Calvert-Lewin is in the final year of his contract, it allows the Toffees to bring in some money for a player with a history of injury issues. During an evening transfer update on talkSPORT, reporter Crook said Everton had set a £40 million asking price for Calvert-Lewin at the start of the window. That is £5 million more than Villa wants from West Ham for Duran, who is seven years younger than Calvert-Lewin. However, Hammers chief Sullivan’s message to the Toffees is plain.
Essentially, reduce the price significantly or forget about seeing the hue of West Ham’s money. “The Everton striker has less than a year left on his contract, so the Toffees are likely to be open to a sale,” Crook says. “However, their original demands of £40 million were enough to push Newcastle’s offer earlier in the window. “Sullivan will not pay anything close to £40 million.”Given Calvert-Lewin’s injury history, West Ham owner David Sullivan is unlikely to spend anywhere near that amount.
“But it’s no secret the Hammers want a new striker and Calvert-Lewin is on their list.” Some West Ham fans have been unimpressed with the links to Calvert-Lewin. However, it should be recalled that the striker appeared in 38 games across all competitions for Everton previous season, 29 of which he started. The 28-year-old only scored eight goals and provided three assists. However, there are some mitigating considerations, like as the fact that opportunities for a striker in a Sean Dyche system are generally scarce.
Calvert-Lewin did manage to achieve an average match rating of nearly 7/10 last season, which is not to be overlooked. He has experience, fits the mold of a homegrown player, and has the potential to take off. Many Hammers fans, however, believe that a younger and better choice exists to lead the next Lopetegui era.
