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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Mark Wakefield

'Should break bank' - Paul Merson makes transfer claim over Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin

Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been labelled the 'perfect fit' for Arsenal.

The Blues forward was tentatively linked with a move to the Gunners last summer.

He stayed at Goodison Park and scored three goals in the first three games of the season before suffering a quadriceps injury that sidelined him for more than four months.

Calvert-Lewin only returned to action on January 2 - missing a penalty in the home loss to Brighton & Hove Albion - and is yet to score since his return.

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The England international has since suffered another injury, this time unspecified, with new Everton manager Frank Lampard confirming the No.9 would miss this weekend's FA Cup tie against Brentford.

But despite Calvert-Lewin featuring just six times this season due to injury, former Arsenal star Paul Merson believes his old club would be wise to make a move to sign the Blues striker.

“Dominic Calvert-Lewin is a perfect fit for Arsenal and they should break the bank to sign him next summer,” Merson wrote in his column for the Daily Star .

“Arsenal need a world class centre forward. They've just saved £25m in wages getting rid of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

*Pick the Everton team to face Brentford:

“And they tried to spend big on Dusan Vlahovic so we know the money is there. They should be talking to Everton about Calvert-Lewin already.

“Calvert-Lewin is young and hungry. He will be England's first choice No. 9 in years to come. He holds the ball up very well and he works his socks off up front.

“I've seen some centre forwards in my time and he works as hard as any of them. Plus he's good in the air and he scores goals. I'd be doing that deal now!

“He's only going to get better and he ticks the boxes. He'd be joining a squad full of young, hungry England players that could all grow together.

“They've got Aaron Ramsdale, Emile Smith Rowe, Bukayo Saka, Ben White - they could easily have five players in the England squad if they signed Calvert-Lewin.

“Not on the fringes but right in there pushing to get in the England team. How many other teams in the Premier League could say that?

Merson continued: “I like what they've (Arsenal) done. They've freed up a lot of wages and whoever comes in won't be saying: 'Aubameyang gets £350,000-a-week, I want £350,000-a-week as well'.

“That's nipped in the bud now. They won't be held to ransom. And they can use the money they've saved to get a top-class player like Calvert-Lewin.”

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