Everton are not interested in letting forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin leave on loan this summer.
The 26-year-old had been linked with a loan move to Italian side AS Roma, with an obligation to buy the striker next summer.
Jose Mourinho’s side are reportedly interested in the ‘top striker’ as they face starting the new season without the influential Tammy Abraham, who is currently out injured.
The Toffees seem to be having a centre-forward fire sale this summer, with Ellis Simms completing a £3.5m move to Coventry City, and Neal Maupay and Tom Cannon both linked with departures on loan.
Jamaican international Demarai Gray is another attacker linked with a Goodison Park exit, with Crystal Palace reportedly seeing the 27-year-old as a replacement for Galatasaray-bound Wilfred Zaha.
However, according to reports in inewspaper, Everton have ‘no interest’ in allowing Dominic Calvert-Lewin to leave this summer, on loan or otherwise.
Everton need to be buying not loaning out strikers like Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Rather than shift the forward, Everton need to alleviate the goalscoring burden that has almost solely been placed on his shoulders following the £60m departure of Richarlison last summer.
The arrival of Dutch international Arnaut Danjuma on loan from Villarreal will help ease the pressure on Calvert-Lewin, though at least one more forward is a must before the end of the window.
The El Bilal Toure transfer saga appears to be coming to an end, though Everton look set to lose out for the Almeria striker to Italian side Atalanta, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano on Twitter.
Leeds United’s Wilfred Gnonto has also been tipped as a potential new recruit for Sean Dyche’s side this summer and looks likely to leave Elland Road before the end of the window.
There is no doubt of Calvert-Lewin’s quality when fit, but maintaining fitness long-term has been a persistent issue for the forward in recent seasons.
However, loaning out a player, injury-prone or otherwise, who can have such an impact upfront given our threadbare options makes little sense.