Leeds United have brought inDominic Calvert-Lewin on a free transfer this month to strengthen up front, and if Daniel Farke wants to recapture the 28-year-old’s peak form, his next moves will be crucial.
It’s been a long time coming, but after Lucas Perri’s arrival in the back end of July, Leeds have finally shifted into gear when bringing in an attacker.
As the Premier League season looms with a home clash against Everton, Leeds agreed to bring in former Toffee Dominic Calvert-Lewin on a free transfer this week.
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What can Leeds United expect from new signing Dominic Calvert-Lewin?
After the not-so-intense pursuit of Rodrigo Muniz from afar went virtually nowhere, Leeds fans were left underwhelmed online at the prospect of being Leeds’ alternative.
Sky Sports’ Zinny Boswell’s reporting of the news did little to generate hype: “DCL and Leeds United not each other’s top choices, but both need each other now,” he wrote on X, perhaps summing up that United may have pursued other options if they were actually attainable, but they weren’t and Calvert-Lewin is the man they landed on.
So what does the 28-year-old bring to Elland Road after nine years at Everton in the Premier League beyond just ‘knowing the league’?
(REUTERS/Chris Radburn)
Well, at 6ft2in, he matches the archetype of striker Leeds have been looking for during the summer and fits in with the attempts to make Farke’s side as physically imposing as possible while being horrid to play against.
His goal return and xG performance is where fans have been wincing at the thought of Calvert-Lewin:
Season Goals(assists) xG xG performance (-/+)
24/25 3 (1) 6.7 -3.7
23/24 7 (2) 12.9 -5.9
22/23 2 (1) 5.8 -3.8
21/22 5 (2) 6.5 -1.5
20/21 16 (0) 16.3 -0.3
19/20 13 (1) 15.3 -2.3
His standout period in front of goal came thanks to Carlo Ancelotti’s brilliance at Goodison Park during 19/20 and 20/21 – ironically coinciding with Patrick Bamford’s hot streak.
Glancing over Calvert-Lewin’s goals during his best season, it’s clear how his goals came about, and why he was able to stay close to his xG performance as opposed to badly underperforming since:
Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s 20/21 shot data pulled from FotMob
His goals all come between the penalty spot and the goal mouth, not scoring from beyond 12 yards. Meanwhile, of his 83 shots that season, 41% (34) of them were with his head, and 87% of them were inside the penalty area.
A clear poacher’s role in the final third, as much as Calvert-Lewin’s presence offers a great outlet to his side, and should for Leeds in allowing them to play direct to a more pronounced focal point in the opposition half, contrasting with how Leeds had to be much more intricate to get the best out of Joel Piroe – whose strengths lie outside of his ability to ‘lead the line’.
How do Leeds United build on Dominic Calvert-Lewin signing with fresh winger and No10 additions?
The money ‘saved’ by signing Calvert-Lewin over someone like Rodrigo Muniz means there’s no excuse but the show serious ambition in Leeds’ other areas of weakness in attack, which most would agree is in signing a left-winger that’s a major improvement on Manor Solomon, and an attacker more capable of playing as a ‘number 10’.
Igor Paixao was the dream on the left, while players such as Bilal El Khannouss and Christantus Uche suggest Leeds have flexibility in what they want through the middle to support their striker signing.
Importantly, their recruitment of Calvert-Lewin, on top of the mass influx of 6ft-plus additions in June and July, indicates they will require players who can whip a ball into the box for these to feed off of.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin is the latest 6ft-plus signing to arrive at Leeds United. (Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff)
Gabriel Gudmundsson looks just that sort of player, as we know Jayden Bogle, Dan James and Willy Gnonto can be too, but more is required to give Leeds a regular supply of crosses from out wide.
Beyond these four in the squad now, Leeds could really do with a specialist in that regard to make the most out of Calvert-Lewin’s skillset, whether it’s from open play or dead balls.
This doesn’t mean signing someone like James Ward-Prowse, whose main purpose on the pitch is to take advantage of these situations – Sam Greenwood could have done that – but with the money available to invest into the attack, Leeds have the opportunity to build around Calvert-Lewin with fitting supporting additions out wide and in the 10.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!