Dominic Calvert-Lewin could be a surprise inclusion in the opposing line-up after David Orstein confirmed in The Athletic today that the free agent is about to secure a move to newly promoted Leeds Utd.
The 28-year-old striker who refused to sign a new contract at Everton after 9 years with the club is expected to complete a medical today and could be in consideration to make his debut when The Toffees kick off the new Premier League campaign at Elland Road on Monday if he is registered in time.
Calvert-Lewin has been available since he confirmed in June that he would be leaving Everton as a free agent when his contract expired.
David Moyes reflected briefly on the primary reason he saw behind Calvert-Lewin's departure from Everton when he spoke on Friday in the pre-match press conference. Moyes confirmed that the striker’s financial demands proved to be “too much” for the club and it opted to let him go:
“I’m pleased for Dom, I didn’t really get a chance to work deeply with him; he picked up an injury, I think I had one or two games with him,” Moyes said.
“We found the financials just too much at the time, so we just had to move on. It might have been the right time for Dom as well. I’m pleased he’s got himself sorted out.”
It is rumoured that a new 4-year deal, which had been on the table left unsigned by the centre-forward since last summer, was withdrawn soon after David Moyes arrived at the club in January.
Such a deal would have consolidated the huge investment Everton have made in the player over the years, through all his well documented trials and tribulations, and allowed the club to ask for a decent fee whenever he wanted to move on, but Dominic denied the club that by refusing to sign.
Reader Comments (113)
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2 Posted 13/08/2025 at 11:17:12
3 Posted 13/08/2025 at 11:22:43
I had about given up on him as a Premier League finisher, my feeling was that his role with Sean Dyche frustrated his best efforts, and we were done with each other.
I won't begrudge him a second coming, just not against us please...
4 Posted 13/08/2025 at 11:23:59
The Live Forum should sell tickets.
6 Posted 13/08/2025 at 11:26:33
7 Posted 13/08/2025 at 11:29:21
Next season, he'll be at the biggest club in the Championship
8 Posted 13/08/2025 at 11:30:17
9 Posted 13/08/2025 at 11:33:52
Could have been playing in a fantastic new stadium, with Grealish and KDH.
Instead, he's playing at a crumbling Elland Road with a far worse team.
10 Posted 13/08/2025 at 11:38:19
11 Posted 13/08/2025 at 11:38:28
12 Posted 13/08/2025 at 11:41:49
Paul H, I agree with you. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Would be interesting to see how much he's getting paid at Leeds compared to what we were offering...as long as he is happy. Interested to hear his signing-on interview. Being a smart guy, he'll get the tone right.
13 Posted 13/08/2025 at 11:46:41
" a DCL hatrick"
The first... a thunderbolt from well outside the box.
The second... a mazy run which takes out three defenders and ends with an unerring finish into the top corner from an acute angle.
And the third, a one on... naw nothing to fear here.
14 Posted 13/08/2025 at 11:52:42
15 Posted 13/08/2025 at 11:55:12
16 Posted 13/08/2025 at 11:57:43
17 Posted 13/08/2025 at 12:00:54
18 Posted 13/08/2025 at 12:03:34
Got me thinking of USM and Usmanov.
19 Posted 13/08/2025 at 12:06:29
Now relegation favourites beckon. And maybe even second or even third choice. Wonder if he's on more than a year contract. Fan forums are worried about biscuit like tendency and about getting a 'new Bamford'.
20 Posted 13/08/2025 at 12:08:00
Pleased that Calvert-Lewin has found a club. Injury free, maybe now, and injury free, he can get his head back on football. I'm sure he will get a decent reception when he returns to Everton.
Not quite meeting his criteria of wanting to play for a team challenging for Champions League, but at least he'll be back to playing football.
21 Posted 13/08/2025 at 12:11:11
Like others, I was expecting him to be picked up by Newcastle Utd or Man Utd as a back-up striker or go abroad tbh, to join a team playing in Europe. Yes, he's a Yorkshire lad but to go to Leeds and fight relegation for a season – I thought he was looking for a change, ha ha ha!!!
Wish him well as I was a fan of his but no wonder he sacked his agent as he's royally cocked up this move.
22 Posted 13/08/2025 at 12:15:58
23 Posted 13/08/2025 at 12:27:45
24 Posted 13/08/2025 at 12:29:47
Don't like his attitude to Everton tbh.
25 Posted 13/08/2025 at 12:36:56
This is one reason why there were lots of dry eyes in the McNulty household once DCL decided to move on.
I wonder how easily he will pass his medical? If he does play against us and is involved in a one-on-one, a star will rise in the East if he scores.
26 Posted 13/08/2025 at 12:46:29
Have they still got that other injured all the time striker to go with their new injured all the time striker? Bamford wasn't it?
27 Posted 13/08/2025 at 12:57:03
28 Posted 13/08/2025 at 12:58:42
29 Posted 13/08/2025 at 13:06:23
30 Posted 13/08/2025 at 13:10:33
31 Posted 13/08/2025 at 13:17:04
32 Posted 13/08/2025 at 13:23:09
What do they know?
Hope DCL proves everyone wrong.
33 Posted 13/08/2025 at 13:52:53
I wish him well and hope he continues to operate in the premier league, I dont care if he scores against us next Monday as long as we win.
34 Posted 13/08/2025 at 14:01:18
I also understood why he would want a change given the crap football that he got to 'spearhead' for so long.
I was convinced he must have had an overseas deal tied up when he announced his departure. As it is, he's taken a backward step at a time when Everton have added the creative players he must have craved when he was in blue.
Just odd. But good luck to him, after Monday.
35 Posted 13/08/2025 at 14:16:37
36 Posted 13/08/2025 at 14:25:09
37 Posted 13/08/2025 at 14:31:35
38 Posted 13/08/2025 at 14:34:45
He won't be fit enough to do 90 minutes….
39 Posted 13/08/2025 at 15:05:01
40 Posted 13/08/2025 at 15:10:19
The money can't be that much that it would make a difference to him, surely.
Wish he had stayed and I hope he does well, but not against us.
Christy, I'm thinking he's saying, why the fk didn't I stay at Everton.
41 Posted 13/08/2025 at 15:13:22
42 Posted 13/08/2025 at 15:16:21
43 Posted 13/08/2025 at 15:23:41
44 Posted 13/08/2025 at 15:26:06
45 Posted 13/08/2025 at 15:33:54
1-2 to the Mighty Blues. Grealish to score the winner!
46 Posted 13/08/2025 at 15:40:23
He did however play in a very dour Everton side ( struggling against relegation)in the last couple of years.
Also injury concerns didnt help.
47 Posted 13/08/2025 at 15:55:32
48 Posted 13/08/2025 at 16:37:30
He's also been referred to as 'ACL' instead of 'DCL' which is pretty funny really.
It seems the view of him from the outside is one of gentle derision.
Leeds fans are not happy.
49 Posted 13/08/2025 at 16:41:40
As to the 130k wages I assume thats why he sacked his agent cause apparently they baulked at his demands last month. Presumably he went back and asked for a more reasonable sum. I think his agent filled his head with nonsense given his comments about leaving Everton for champions league and trophy. That ship sailed after the Ancelotti season.
I doubt he will play Monday as hes had no pre season. Grealish at least was still employed by a club so training as normal if not featuring in pre season matches. Presumably it will need a few u21 or behind closed door games to get DCL match fit.
50 Posted 13/08/2025 at 16:44:32
Hats off to them, they're really going for it, they've stolen our Crown Jewels… but I wish them all the luck in the world.
51 Posted 13/08/2025 at 16:46:18
I feel a bit sorry for Harrison Leeds fan hate him cause of that video of his Mum saying she hopes he doesnt go back to Leeds. No fault of his. He seems like a decent pro hes just not that good. I dont think hes a villain deserving of booing in the Maupay mold.
52 Posted 13/08/2025 at 16:46:21
53 Posted 13/08/2025 at 16:49:42
It must have been soul destroying for him (It was for me, just watching).
When Moyes came in and pushed the full backs up, allowing the midfield to support the striker, for two games he looked a different player. Then got the injury that left us with a team playing to his strengths, but with Beto in his place.
If his new club allow players to support the centre forward, he will thrive once he is fully fit.
He always gave everything he could for the club. And as others have said, from next Tuesday on, I wish him well.
54 Posted 13/08/2025 at 16:49:50
55 Posted 13/08/2025 at 17:01:32
I can never forgive Dominic turning his nose up at a new contract after being nurtured for 3 years and hardly playing a game for us.
56 Posted 13/08/2025 at 17:06:46
The only difference being they think the similarity is they're both shite.
57 Posted 13/08/2025 at 17:40:45
He must surely be regretting leaving us now?
58 Posted 13/08/2025 at 18:06:49
59 Posted 13/08/2025 at 19:40:48
60 Posted 13/08/2025 at 21:43:50
Chances of DCL scoring against us may have just improved slightly.
61 Posted 13/08/2025 at 22:32:21
62 Posted 13/08/2025 at 22:32:56
Never ever said a bad word about Everton, and he definitely could have the way he was treated by some fans.
63 Posted 13/08/2025 at 22:36:27
64 Posted 13/08/2025 at 22:42:15
65 Posted 14/08/2025 at 03:15:38
When he left I assumed he must have had a club lined up.
But it does it now look like he wanted out of Everton regardless of where he might end up? Maybe the treatment of him did have an effect.
66 Posted 14/08/2025 at 05:04:06
We'll never know, of course.
Best of luck to him. He always gave us his best.
67 Posted 14/08/2025 at 06:52:05
I recall we offered to extend his contract so we must have wanted to keep him, but not at £130k.
68 Posted 14/08/2025 at 06:57:14
69 Posted 14/08/2025 at 07:21:12
No wonder his legs went. His only role, in his latter years at Everton, was to try and out jump two giant centre-halves after a long punt upfield by Pickford.
All the best, Dom. And wear whatever the fuck you want to in the future.
70 Posted 14/08/2025 at 07:30:01
Obviously we don't know the ins and outs of the deal on offer but surely he could have earned similarly with us whilst playing better football in a new stadium? I imagine his ego will have taken a dent that nobody in the Champions League wanted him, not even in Turkey! Regardless I wish him well.
71 Posted 14/08/2025 at 08:05:24
But the most telling point is that he sacked his agent. I believe Dom, like most players, put his trust in his agent who clearly had no idea of the value of an injury prone striker. I think he was more interested in his own bank balance than his clients career.
Whatever, I wish him and his family well
for the future and hope he can enjoy the rest of his playing days and his life in good health.
72 Posted 14/08/2025 at 08:44:16
He only seemed to go flat out for 2 games a season, the rs and Arsenal.
Now he's moved it'll be 3 a season, with us being the third.
He's sacked his agent and got a good deal cash wise.
He can go 110% balls out Vs us and then get to know the new physios better while his dosh mounts up in the bank.
If he only has 1 blinder in a season, we all know who it will be against.
If he does that and never kicks a ball for Leeds ( dirty dirty leeds) he might count that as a job well done in the revenge stakes.
Got to be worth a tenner for first scorer.
73 Posted 14/08/2025 at 09:00:49
I bet he's signed a shorter deal and less wages than our offer, with a club that will be in a relegation dogfight.
74 Posted 14/08/2025 at 09:08:15
75 Posted 14/08/2025 at 09:14:15
My niece is a sports physio and her view is that some bodies simply can't cope with the pressures put on them by elite sport. Could be due to a number of reasons, physiological, genetic, body shape etc.
Hope Branthwaite isn't one.
76 Posted 14/08/2025 at 11:55:29
He will play some part in Monday's game and will probably score. You all know how it goes with strikers who haven't scored against us and he hasn't ever. 😂
77 Posted 14/08/2025 at 14:28:01
Perhaps he has gone for first team football opportunities with a club close to family.
I assumed he'd get a move to a better placed club (home or abroad) where he would be one of a few forward options from the bench. Suits his standard and injury record. Wonder what his other offers were.
At Leeds, I think there is a good chance he will be reunited with Dyche this season - with the current manager sacked by the January window for shipping too many goals.
Shame in a way because he could have done well under Moyes alongside better players as we rebuild the squad. But I think both parties probably needed a ch a change.
78 Posted 14/08/2025 at 20:16:37
79 Posted 14/08/2025 at 22:33:18
Im pretty sure Koeman played him right back on one occasion, didnt he?
80 Posted 15/08/2025 at 10:55:51
He always thought he was better that he was. Will have a look on the Leeds forum in a few weeks time.
81 Posted 15/08/2025 at 11:04:32
82 Posted 15/08/2025 at 12:52:31
83 Posted 15/08/2025 at 12:57:18
Get on the No Red Shite Here league, much better.
84 Posted 15/08/2025 at 14:48:03
85 Posted 15/08/2025 at 15:18:12
86 Posted 15/08/2025 at 15:49:06
Held Everton to ransom, thought he could do even better and ends up at Leeds earning less.
87 Posted 15/08/2025 at 15:53:32
88 Posted 15/08/2025 at 15:59:11
89 Posted 15/08/2025 at 16:17:51
He must feel like a right pillock.
90 Posted 15/08/2025 at 17:45:41
Also seems to have been primarily about wages and greed too. Good riddance.
91 Posted 15/08/2025 at 18:53:30
Listening to Moyes today, he was looking for massive wages, and I agree he's definitely on less money than we offered, and Leeds were never in his plans. Beggars can't be choosers, sadly.
92 Posted 15/08/2025 at 18:59:39
He certainly put them on the table over DCL, despite his kind eulogy he wanted to bleed the club, I wish him well but glad he has gone. Good luck with Leeds??
Beto got a huge defensive thumbs up and support from the Manager, who respects his hard work and willing to learn. Beto will score a lot of goals this will really be his breakout season.
I don't think it will be long before that right side is sorted, plus a number 6 brought in.
93 Posted 15/08/2025 at 21:00:16
Will be a tough game there Monday. If we had our full defence I'd be relaxed. The thought of Keane in a bouncing Elland Rd scares me.
Is Myko fit? Are we looking at 3 centre-backs? McNeil and Garner as wingbacks?
Get £100M player for next to nothing and still we are looking at crisis mode before a ball been kicked. Wouldn't be Everton if we weren't fighting something or someone.
94 Posted 15/08/2025 at 22:48:39
Whether you agree or not, he might believe he was played up front in some dreadfully defensive teams, mismanaged by the medical team, rushed back into the side repeatedly, taunted by fans for his fashion choices, had his mental health publicly questioned by his manager, and had his wife abused by online trolls.
Maybe he just wanted to get out. I wouldn't have believed it because he never said anything but good things about Everton and Evertonians, but leaving without a deal agreed elsewhere does smack of a guy being prepared to take his chances rather than stay.
The glee from some fans in him struggling for a team and then turning up at a newly promoted team isn't a good look, in my opinion. And shows a lack of any kind of collective self reflection.
He's made the decision to move on and show some class in his words, and a portion of our fans would be well advised to do the same.
95 Posted 15/08/2025 at 23:01:21
Ernie I didn't say DCL shouldn't have left, souldnt have run his contract down, shouldn't have carried s handbag or worn a skirt.
I said he had been badly advised.
In my opinion, he's gone from us an established PL club( one fighting relagation year on year)
To Leeds ( one yo yoing year on year )
Fair enough if you feel your time is done and move on.
To be without a Club at his stage of his career was a bit strange.
Everton, by Moyes statement wanted him to stay.
I always liked him, tried hid best, put his body on the line, gsve his all, in some terrible teams and times.
But he was no isakk, he was no haaland.
He could potentially have had his best season here with the signings we've made.
Good luck to the lad. Just not Monday!
96 Posted 15/08/2025 at 23:07:47
97 Posted 15/08/2025 at 23:08:13
We don't necessarily know the full story - hence the glee from some isn't a good look. And there is another thread on here that is full of glee.
98 Posted 15/08/2025 at 23:29:54
Firing one's agent in the middle of a transfer window is highly unusual.
99 Posted 15/08/2025 at 23:38:05
I think some blues would love to believe he sacked his agent while saying through tears... you made me leave the club I loved, we should have taken the lower wage, you said I was too good for Everton.
It could be true, but it's probably just a bit comfortable for Evertonians to believe. Big life decisions tend to be a bit more nuanced.
100 Posted 16/08/2025 at 00:14:16
101 Posted 16/08/2025 at 02:19:48
What we do know is what you reminded us on, abuse of his wife, derision of his choices outside football, and abuse on the pitch playing as a lone attacker for Sean Dyche. Let me say that again, a lone attacker for Sean Dyche. The man who was sacked because of his inability to get the best out of the players we had. David Moyes proved that.
For years he has been the only striker we have had and scored some beauts. His injury record in the past few season is not great, but again, the pressure on him to return as the only forward was immense. It didn't help, and probably contributed.
He is gone. It's the best thing for him and us, but he served us well. The stats might say one thing but they do not show the quality of the manager he was playing for, or the players around him that were supposed to provide chances.
The striker's life is a game of averages, get three chances, score one. We were lucky to get single chances in most games under Dyche. Remember that?
102 Posted 16/08/2025 at 04:03:56
You cant blame Dyche for the pitiful attempts one one-on-one. A striker being paid over £100k a week.
You cant blame Dyche for his failings. Hes shite in front of goal, sorry.
103 Posted 16/08/2025 at 05:47:15
104 Posted 16/08/2025 at 06:26:59
I personally believe he never recovered from the boos he got when he fractured his cheekbone. No real coming back from that and you are right Ernie, we are the ones who should be reflecting on that. We have some of the best support in the land but I'd love for us to find a way to stop turning on our own sometimes.
I am rooting for Dom to do well (just not against us, though I wouldn't be surprised if he was a real handful Monday night!) and yes I imagine he is not where he'd hoped he be but had to leave.
105 Posted 16/08/2025 at 07:30:51
He had run his contract down, was made an offer to stay, but the club and player couldn't agree.
He did spend a lot of his time at Everton playing as an isolated and frustrated Everton striker. He won't have enjoyed that much. Probably his only consistently productive run was under Ancelotti.
As for the fashion display, I found that irrelevant to the debate about him as a footballer. There may have been mutterings around Old Trafford when Beckham embarked on his fashion career, but they were supportive of the footballer.
Injuries are injuries and they happen. I often think due to the nature of our paper thin squad, the way he was asked to play and his style of play, he was run into the ground from a young age, which may have contributed.
Then a few tipping points.
Booed by a few of his own supporters for having to go off at Villa Park with a facial injury after a collision with their goalkeeper.
And what happened to his wife. The internet is a tool that provides information at our fingertips, brings people together and keeps people in touch. Unfortunately some "brave" keyboard warriors use it to hurl abuse. Fortunately, as the couple joined the squad on the lap of appreciation at the last Goodison fixture, they got a warm reception and both applauded the supporters back.
Finally, maybe it was just time to go. £1.5m, and gave us the best part of 10 years. He's not our player any more. He never hit the heights of expectation, but neither did the Everton teams he played in.
106 Posted 16/08/2025 at 08:59:35
107 Posted 16/08/2025 at 09:12:30
I just thought that Dom was completely delusional.
108 Posted 16/08/2025 at 09:20:12
DCL's agent appeared to have an inflated sense of his worth. DCL himself appeared to be somewhat delusional about where his career was and is after all the injuries and struggles in front of goal, before reality came knocking.
109 Posted 16/08/2025 at 09:35:30
110 Posted 16/08/2025 at 10:29:53
Agree with your last sentence.
Dcls header v Palace & header v lpool will live long in the memory.
I wish he stays fit and enjoys the rest of his career, just not too much when he plays against us!
The one thing we do need to act upon as a club is identifying which players are running their contracts down and get shut off them for a fee. We have lost a fortune on them.
111 Posted 16/08/2025 at 18:29:33
Calvert-Lewin is apparently on £80,000 a week, the poor lad should have stayed with us, don't know how he'll manage on that.
112 Posted 16/08/2025 at 18:46:34
The Newcastle links probably swayed his thinking; ironically, the Barcodes don't have a single centre-forward in their squad now.
Timing is so key in these situations. They are probably thinking he would have been a good squad player now.
I feel Dom and Everton missed the real peak of his attraction to other teams before he had his long injury. Everton missed the opportunity to cash in!
Leeds could be good for him. For most teams, success is judged totally differently. Scoring 10 and Leeds staying up, they would probably love him, 10 for us and we would be looking at his wages thinking "Is that value?"
Is he getting more wages at Leeds? Who knows?
I think Barry will contribute more goals this season, Beto was better last season, so I'm not worried we will miss him. He will miss Everton more!
He should be welcome back after he's finished playing. He's not a legend, but he's part of some real amazing memories of this club!
113 Posted 17/08/2025 at 15:29:18
114 Posted 17/08/2025 at 15:56:09
Over the years Ive had my pet hates (nothing personal) eg Iwobi, Pembridge, John McGlaughlin, Bryan Hamilton etc… Simply because they were all shite.
DCL played out of position. Played up top on his own. Received no service at all. Never had any support etc… I loved the lad for the effort he put in in every game. He never hid. He never shirked. He never disrespected the club but for some hes the devil incarnate.
I wish him nothing but the best.
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1 Posted 13/08/2025 at 11:03:23