Ruben Amorim lost pre-season match to striker ‘similar’ to Viktor Gyokeres, now linked with Man Utd

After missing out on Liam Delap and Viktor Gyokeres, Manchester United have started to be linked with more budget-friendly options, including free agents like Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

The 28-year-old has been offered to United following his release from Everton, but signing him would come with plenty of risk. Injuries have slowed him down in recent years, and his form hasn’t always matched expectations.

“If Calvin has a day and Gyokeres has a day, they are very similar. But it is the consistency level of Calvin and the fact that he’s not on the pitch often that is the big problem with him,” Pardew told talkSPORT.

Amorim already has some experience against Calvert-Lewin beyond just seeing him in the Premier League. In 2023, Sporting lost 1-0 to Everton in a pre-season friendly at Goodison Park, and it was Calvert-Lewin who scored the only goal of the match.

The striker spoke after that game about how good he felt heading into that season.

“I felt good,” he told BBC Sport. “I felt sharp. I feel more confident now.”

If other targets don’t materialize, Calvert-Lewin could become a fallback option for United this summer.

Carlo Ancelotti once called him a “complete” striker during his time at Everton, so there may still be some belief within football circles that Calvert-Lewin can find another level if he stays fit.

Ruben Amorim set for another pre-season clash with Everton

Two years after that pre-season loss to Everton with Sporting, Amorim is set to face the Toffees again this summer, now in charge of United.

The club will head out to the United States next week for their pre-season tour, where they’ll play three matches as part of the Premier League Summer Series.

United’s final game of the series will be against Everton, a team whom Amorim managed to get a result against last season.

Back then, United cruised to a 4-0 win at Old Trafford in one of his early matches. Marcus Rashford scored twice that day, though he was soon left out of the squad not long after.

Results against Premier League opposition haven’t always gone Amorim’s way, so this summer gives him another chance to show progress and build some momentum heading into the new season.