OPINION
Everton first team coach Duncan Ferguson believes forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin has made his place secure in Marco Silva’s starting line-up and will be the club’s first choice striker next season.
Ferguson has explained why he thinks Calvert-Lewin will be Silva’s go to striker for the start of next term and how he is looking for him to improve further next season.
“Dominic has done very well and has managed to lock himself into that centre forward position as a regular starter. His stats to goal ratio is very good, we think we can we can improve and we’re looking forward to Dominic kicking on next year,” Ferguson told Sky Sports.
Those comments should signal to Everton forward Cenk Tosun that he needs to up his game next season, after falling down the pecking order at Goodison Park in Silva’s first year in charge this season.
Tosun could only score three Premier League goals this season in his 25 appearances, only ten of which were starts, with Silva preferring to select both Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison ahead of the Turkish international at times this campaign.
The Turkish striker joined Everton from Turkish side Besiktas in January 2018 for around £27million, and arrived at Goodison Park with a growing reputation having scored 41 goals in 96 Turkish Super Lig games prior to his move.
However, he has failed to live up to that form so far in the English top flight, managing just eight goals in his 39 Premier League appearances for the Toffees.
Tosun’s current contract at Everton, worth £60,000-a-week [Spotrac.com], does not expire until the summer of 2022, but with Ferguson suggesting Calvert-Lewin will be kicking on next term, the Turkish international will be needing to do the same to be in with a chance of starting for the club.
The 27-year-old will not wanting to be sat on the bench for another season, and must prove to Silva that he is worthy of a starting role ahead of the likes of Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison.
Everton will probably be looking to also add to their forward options during the summer transfer window, with any moves for a new striker potentially pushing Tosun even further down the club’s pecking order, meaning he will need to work even harder to compete for a starting role next term.