Newcastle interest in Calvert-Lewin is bad news for Wood

Eddie Howe looking to sign another striker this summer doesn’t bode well for Chris Wood’s chances of holding down a starting place at Newcastle United, and it’s probably insulting that the Magpies are interested in another target man based in the Premier League.

Chris Waugh of The Athletic said days ago that Newcastle had Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin on their radar, but a deal would depend on what price is quoted and the 25-year-old’s willingness to leave – the Toffees are in financial difficulty and may have to sell valuable assets to balance the books.

Calvert-Lewin doesn’t do a dissimilar job on the pitch to Wood and has a similar scoring record (58 goals in 191 games for Everton to Wood’s 53 goals in 165 games for Burnley), but the England international was outstanding in 2020/21 (21 goals in 39 games) which led to suitors paying attention.

Fast-forward a year and Calvert-Lewin is coming off the back of a disappointing season due to injury and poor form (five goals in 17 games), so he might not be the best investment.

It’s unlikely Wood would be sold just months after joining Newcastle as he’s a useful squad player, but he could spend the 2022/23 season in a supporting role if Howe brings in the firepower he wants.

In other news, Newcastle United’s transfer policy under Eddie Howe revealed