Man Utd-linked Calvert-Lewin will look to play for a Champions League club, says former Everton striker Saha

Former Everton and Manchester United striker Louis Saha has been impressed with Dominic Calvert-Lewin and thinks he could soon be playing for a club in the Champions League.

The 23-year-old has scored nine goals in his first six games in all competitions this season, and is the joint-top scorer in the Premier League.

He also made his England debut over the past week, picking up his first three caps, and next up for the striker is a game against Everton's local rivals Liverpool on Saturday.

Calvert-Lewin has been linked with United in recent weeks and, given his current form, Saha is not surprised by the speculation.

"There's a lot of players who get linked with Man United," Saha told Goal. "This club wants the best players, all the top scorers, so, of course, he is going to be linked. What I know from the club's perspective of Man United, they want to sign guarantees.

"The more goals you get, the closer you are to those types of clubs. For Dominic, the national team is a step to prove he can do this at international level. I do think that he has got the potential and I think the next move could be there but it isn't something I would like to see from an Everton point of view.

"But, I think that one day he will look to play in the Champions League for a big club."

Calvert-Lewin has been Carlo Ancelotti's main striker since the Italian's appointment as manager towards the end of last year, but has taken his form to a new level this season.

Saha has long been tracking the development of Calvert-Lewin and feels the forward has now simply found his identity.

"He is a player who has a big tank and a lot of energy," Saha continued. "With that, he can improve a lot. He is working hard, he has a clear vision of where he needs to be and what people expect of him. The runs he does either for himself or his team-mates are more precise.

"I saw it with [Marcus] Rashford. When he started, he was instinctive. Running and doing what he wants. Now, he thinks more about how he can make things more difficult, that was the case with Calvert-Lewin. When I watched him, I felt he would overthink things, try too hard.

"Now, he knows who he is and he knows what to do. He has become more clinical in front of goal because he doesn't overthink. He knows exactly what he is doing, relying on his training and knows he can score again and again. It is a confidence thing."

Calvert-Lewin's stellar start to the season comes on the back of an impressive summer of recruitment which saw the club sign James Rodriguez, Allan, Ben Godfrey and Abdoulaye Doucoure.

James' £20 million ($26m) arrival was seen as a coup for Everton after coming from Real Madrid to rebuild his career. Having left a big club for Everton himself, Saha believes it is a move that makes sense for a player who wants to enjoy football again and he thinks the door to silverware remains open for the Colombian.

"When you go from Real Madrid from anywhere at a certain age, the next club is going to be a step down," he added. "Real Madrid, without a doubt, is one of the biggest clubs in the world. Maybe only two or three can compete with them.

"As a player, you know that step, then as an individual what you want is to play, enjoy, score goals if you can, maybe win trophies. It isn't about showing anyone that they made a mistake; he just wanted to enjoy his football again.

"Everton is a great platform for that. I felt it when I went from Manchester United to Everton. They have the same desire to do well, they are a big club and they may have had fewer opportunities to win trophies but the infrastructure is here.

"There's no doubt James Rodriguez is a really big player, he has been competing with big players for many years. He has great experiences, many trophies and he can say 'who cares about people's opinions, I am a top player'."

Everton have the unusual privilege of looking down on Liverpool in the Premier League table after the champions' shocking 7-2 defeat to Aston Villa ahead of the international break.

"I am impressed but not surprised by Everton," Saha concluded. "They are starting to show signs of consistency and a definite plan. I like to say plan because it seems to be way more organised in the way they go forward and defend.

"They just need to reduce the number of errors. They are well balanced as a team and they can upset a lot of teams. They have always been ambitious; they had some doubts in the last two seasons.

"They have great players, young players and I am a really big fan of Richarlison, for example. It is a big club with good fans so to be an Everton player is an amazing feeling.

"I still think Liverpool are up there again to win the title again because they have shown massive consistency. They have had a big setback but it is about how you react. I am sure a club with a manager like Jurgen Klopp, as you have seen on the bench, will be absolutely fuming about that 7-2 defeat.

"They have conceded goals they shouldn't have but all this should be taken as a lesson. People need to be careful of Liverpool because a reaction will come. People's jaws dropped to the floor after the last game. It will be a very close game on Saturday."

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