Frank Lampard thinks free agent Man Utd are 'in talks to sign' has got everything

Free agent Dominic Calvert-Lewin would be a steal of a signing for Manchester United, if Frank Lampard's opinion is anything to go by. The Coventry City boss worked with the striker during his time in charge of Everton between 2022 and 2023.

Despite the 28-year-old being blighted with injury for the majority of the season Lampard took tenure, he was left impressed with the star's capabilities. It comes as Calvert-Lewin's nine-year stint with Everton came to a close this summer, with the striker leaving the club as a free agent with 71 goals to his name from 273 appearances.

But it may not take him long to find a new home. Manchester United are currently said to be showing an interest in Calvert-Lewin, as Ruben Amorim looks to further strengthen the side he inherited from Erik ten Hag in November. Calvert-Lewin is also said to be keen on the idea of signing for the club.

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And a transfer is good news for United fans if Lampard's gleaming opinion of the player is anything to go off. Speaking about Calvert-Lewin during his reign at Goodison Park, Lampard said: "Dominic is a high level striker, an England striker, a Premier League regular goalscorer with all his natural attributes that we see in terms of the types of goals that he can score, his strengths, his speed, his aerial ability.

"You have to try and play to the best strengths of that without a doubt and I think also, Dominic is a forward that can connect the game and hold the ball and drop in between lines at times as well."

He added: "He has been great. When I say that, throughout the period of time I have been here, he has a real desire to be playing regularly and showing what he can do.

"He has done everything he can do, which can sometimes be frustrating, but has handled himself in the right way. When you take a few knocks like that, and I know it myself as a player at times, they can knock you back and you don't feel like you are contributing to the team.

"Those things are hard to handle for any player and, looking back on it, I actually think he has handled them very well to get to a place where he should enjoy his moment last week when he shows an individual performance like he did. It's now a maintenance issue of trying to keep him in that level."

Lampard was also quick to praise Calvert-Lewin for his rise at Everton under Carlo Ancelotti between 2019 and 2021. As per the Standard, he said: "Not everyone gets in their first team at 17 or 18, other than the Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen types of the world.

"Other players have to find different ways and now he has shown himself, last season and particularly this season, consistently he's an all-round striker. Every part of his game is a real threat."

Amorim has already spent more than £200million this summer on Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko, but with Rasmus Hojlund's future at Old Trafford in question, he may still want to bring in a backup striker for the fresh season. talkSPORT claims United are one of three clubs in talks with Calvert-Lewin. Hojlund has failed to live up to his price tag since signing from Atalanta in a £72m deal back in 2022, as evidenced by the fact that he scored just four Premier League goals last term.

Hojlund has been told that he is free to leave the Theatre of Dreams for £30m this summer, despite the 22-year-old insisting that he hopes to fight for his place under Amorim. However, it is now reported that Hojluind is open to a move to AC Milan, with Il Rossoneri looking to secure a season-long loan deal for the Dane.

Should Hojlund depart, even just on a temporary basis, then the only backups to Sesko would be Joshua Zirkzee - who managed just three goals in the Premier League last season - and an inexperienced Chido Obi. While Calvert-Lewin may not be the highest name on United fans' list of hopeful signings, the striker would undoubtedly bring a wealth of Premier League experience to Old Trafford, and given he is a free agent, the risk relating to a transfer would be at a minimum outside of the star's wages.

He is also keen on the idea of playing for Manchester United next season, parting ways with his agent with hopes of finding his own way to the club in the coming weeks.

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