After an excruciating season, which saw Leeds United coming tremendously close to securing a playoff spot in the Championship under the lively Garry Monk, the historic club will look to take heart from their performance this season and start preparing for the next.
Leeds have produced some brilliant matches this season courtesy to Chris Wood. The New Zealand international has contributed 26 goals himself of the 60 goals the side has scored in total till date this season. But, it is time that Monk realises how grave danger his side are in, owing to their over-reliance on the striker.
The second top scorer for Leeds has been the playmaker, Hernandez, with just six goals and second-choice striker, Souleymane Doukara, may also manage as many goals this season. The gap is hugely concerning and one of the primary targets for Leeds this summer transfer window will be to get a forward, who could go toe to toe with Wood.
One of the hottest prospects in that role is Everton’s exciting talent Domini Calvert-Lewin. The 20-year-old has shown flashes of brilliance in the little chances he got in the first team under Ronald Koeman and the fans couldn’t get enough of his sudden burst of pace and witty tricks and turns this season. They were enough for the Merseyside club to bind him to a new five-year contract recently.
It was Everton’s Under-23 manager, David Unsworth, who recognised the potential of the then Sheffield Wednesday striker and the Toffees bought the player for a mere £1.5 million last summer. Numerous Premier League clubs have kept tabs on the player but it doesn’t seem that he is leaving Everton anytime soon or for a cheap price.
He was seen against Chelsea in Everton’s 3-0 defeat last week on the left flank, with Koeman ensuring raw pace to keep the likes of Marcos Alonso and Eden Hazard quiet and the player didn’t disappoint. His sudden burst of pace drew loud cheers from the crowd and his range of passing came to the fore.
However, Lewin is far from a finished product and for that, he needs regular first-team action. And what better place to do that than the Elland Road. The 20-year-old can play on the flanks as well as through the middle and could be brilliant alongside Wood if Leeds manage to bring him on loan.
Since debuting for England’s U-20 in September 2016, he has scored four goals in eight games. Everton are in grave danger of losing out on Romelu Lukaku and Ross Barkley, and if that happens, the Toffees are bound to replace them with star signings rather than Lewin. So Leeds have a great opportunity to take advantage of the situation.
