ARSENAL LEGEND EXPLAINS BIG ‘DOUBT’ WHICH WILL STOP ARTETA SIGNING £60M ACE

Arsenal legend David O’Leary is a big Dominic Calvert-Lewin fan but the Everton striker’s injury record means he might not be the right striker for Mikel Arteta’s Premier League challengers. 

The Everton number nine has missed more games than he’s played in recent seasons.

And, if it hadn’t been for a spate of injuries which took a sledgehammer to his reputation, would we be talking about Dominic Calvert-Lewin as one of the finest centre-forwards in the Premier League these days?

Since breaking the 20-goal barrier under Carlo Ancelotti in 2020/21, Calvert-Lewin has scored just 13 Everton goals in the last two-and-a-half seasons.

It is nearly two years, meanwhile, since The Sun reported that Arsenal were running the rule over the then-£60 million-rated England international. And it may be telling that, with The Gunners scouring the markets for strikers in the present day, Calvert-Lewin’s name is absent from the gossip columns these days.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin no longer an Arsenal option

“I’ve always liked the lad. I think anybody looking at him wouldn’t be arguing against what you see,” former Aston Villa manager O’Leary, who made over 700 appearances for Arsenal, tells talkSPORT (5 January, 9.40am).

“The big thing is how many games are you going to get out of him? I think that’s the doubt in people’s minds.

“I’ve always liked him. Strong in the air, great running ability, works the line well. But the thing is the amount of game he plays.”

The striker linked most frequently with Arsenal in recent months – Ivan Toney – looks set to stay put with Brentford slapping a £100 million price-tag on his head. Juventus have also played down reports linking Dusan Vlahovic with a move to the Emirates.

O’Leary, meanwhile, cannot help but wonder if Arsenal would have been better served spending the £65 million they splurged on Kai Havertz last summer on a centre-forward instead.

Kai Havertz yet to convince

“I was very surprised they bought Havertz,” O’Leary adds. “I don’t see Havertz as a number nine, and I was very surprised as (a striker) was something I felt they needed, and it’s standing out now.”

Bukayo Saka is the only Arsenal player to have scored more than five Premier league goals in 2023/24, with Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard falling short of last season’s standards.