The Blues boss, speaking before the Fulham game, said he would not consider reducing Calvert-Lewin’s minutes while his future at the club remained unresolved
Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s contract situation would not impact Sean Dyche’s decisions on whether to play him, the Blues boss said.
The 27-year-old is out of contract in the summer and yet to sign fresh terms that were offered to him earlier this year. His future remains the subject of uncertainty that will only intensify as the end of his deal nears.
That situation would not impact Dyche’s thought process about whether or not to select him, however.
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Asked whether he would be tempted to explore other options while Calvert-Lewin’s future remained unresolved, Dyche said before the game with Fulham: “I don’t do that. He will just keep playing. Get the shirt on, play hard, those are the rules. All the rest of it will look after itself.”
For Dyche, the value of Calvert-Lewin to the team’s immediate priority of staying in the Premier League outweighs potential selection issues. The same approach means he does not believe Everton would sell the forward in January for the sake of realising a fee for him. His importance to the team, Dyche believes, is greater than any fee that is likely to be offered for him in the new year.
The door remains open to Calvert-Lewin at Everton and, for the player, it appears he too is preparing to stay on Merseyside until his contract expires. Speaking recently, he highlighted his desire to find the 13 goals needed to become the Blues’ outright leading Premier League goalscorer and added: “I want to etch my name in Everton’s history forever. It’s something that I’m dead set on achieving.
“We’re playing a small part in the club’s history now – with our last season at Goodison. I think there’s something special about the place and, for all the great number nines who have played at Goodison, and had the privilege of doing it, I’ll be the last one to carry that load. That’s very special to me.”
