Duncan Ferguson still bitter over Calvert-Lewin exit - this is how Everton could have kept him

Duncan Ferguson believes there was a chance Everton could have prevented Dominic Calvert-Lewin's exit and subsequent move to Leeds United.

The England international left the Toffees at the end of the 2024-25 campaign when his contract came to an end.

Nine years after arriving at Goodison Park from Sheffield United in a £1.5million deal, Calvert-Lewin penned an emotional farewell to fans.

Calvert-Lewin scored 71 goals in 273 games, but after a few barren campaigns towards the end of his spell on Merseyside, he has been on fire for Leeds.

He has 17 Premier League goals since the start of last season - the type of output Everton fans would desperately love to see right now.

Everton great Ferguson is still annoyed Everton were unable to get Calvert-Lewin to agree a new deal last year.

How could Everton have kept Dominic Calvert-Lewin?

It is fair to say Calvert-Lewin is a far better striker that Thierno Barry - and indeed Beto, who left in the summer.

The 29-year-old's form earned him a recall to the England senior side in the most recent international break.

He is currently considered the best of the rest in his position behind the undroppable Harry Kane for the Three Lions.

How Everton would have loved to have seen this form, and Ferguson reckons that was possible if they had bowed to the player's wage demands.

"[Everton] should never have let Dominic go," he said on The Overlap Daily. "I coached Dominic as a young man and I put him in my team.

"He scored his first two goals in the same game; the game I managed against Chelsea. I put him up front. He's a great player.

"You should never have let him go. But obviously I don’t know what’s happened behind the scenes.

"If he wanted £200,000 a week, give him £200,000 a week. If he wanted £100,000 a week, give him it."

That is easier said than done, of course, but given their chance again to offer Calvert-Lewin massive wages, it would surely be considered.

Duncan Ferguson makes clear what Everton need

Ferguson knows a striker when he sees one, and that is an area Everton are every much lacking.

Barry, to his credit, has six goals to his name so far this season - half of those against Preston North End in the Carabao Cup.

The Guinea-Bissau international gets into some great positions, which is the sign of a promising striker, but he also misses far too many.

As Ferguson went on to say on the same podcast: "[Everton] need a better player up front.

"Now, to be fair to the lad up front, he's scoring goals, and he's got a great willingness to embarrass himself, which is a great trait."

If Barry can start to take even one in what appears like the five chances he gets a game consistently, he could be Everton's own Leeds version of Calvert-Lewin.

But fans will not hold their breath, meaning a new striker will instead be required at Everton in January.