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In the summer of 2001, Mark Viduka came close to leaving Leeds United after a stellar first season at Elland Road – and the Aussie’s near-exit should warn Leeds, over Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Viduka only joined Leeds from Celtic for £6m in 2000. It was seen as a bit of a bargain, after scoring a whopping 35 goals in 48 games for the Hoops. In his first season at Leeds, he had a hand in 29 goals.
Playing 53 times in all competitions, Viduka would score 22 goals and lay on seven assists. He scored against Real Madrid, Tottenham, Chelsea, and his famous four-goal haul in a 4-3 win over Liverpool.
A year after joining Leeds, Milan came calling. Viduka himself recalls how Milan were ready to pay £38m, but he turned down the offer to stay at Elland Road. In hindsight, Viduka might regret that decision.
Fast forward to now, Leeds are established in the Premier League again, arguably for the first time since Viduka’s era at Elland Road. Dominic Calvert-Lewin is leading the line with aplomb for Daniel Farke.
But Leeds are likely to become susceptible to offers from bigger clubs and European heavyweights. New signing Tarik Muharemovic is already a target for Bayern Munich, and others are likely to be taking note.
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Playing a similar number of games to Viduka, Calvert-Lewin has scored 20 goals in 48 games. It comes after netting Leeds’ goal on Sunday during a 1-1 draw with Man United. But his contract expires in 2028.
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The 29-year-old has proved his fitness and is the next-best England striker to Harry Kane at the moment. With his contract set to enter the final 18 months, Calvert-Lewin could start to generate interest in him.
Leeds are established, but still some way off the top teams – much like the Leeds side of 2001. Bigger clubs could come in for Leeds’ best players, as they did 25 years ago with Milan pushing for Viduka.
It should serve as a reminder to Leeds and Adam Underwood that Calvert-Lewin could become a target for onlooking clubs. Milan, Newcastle and Man United wanted Calvert-Lewin before he joined Leeds.
| Metric (Per 90 Mins) | Mark Viduka (2000–01) | Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds) |
| Games/Goals | 53 Games, 22 goals | 48 games, 20 goals |
| Non-Penalty xG / 90 | 0.48 | 0.46 |
| Aerial Duels Won / 90 | 5.6 | 5.2 (2nd among PL non-CBs) |
| Aerial Win Percentage | 56.8% | 55.4% |
| Touches in Opp. Box / 90 | 5.8 | 5.4 |
| Shot Conversion Rate | 18.2% | 17.8% |
| Pass Completion (Final Third) | 68.4% | 66.1% |
| Fouls Drawn / 90 | 1.85 | 1.72 |
Leeds cannot lose Calvert-Lewin. He is as important to Leeds as Viduka was at the time, and the stats show that. Viduka nearly joining Milan has got to convince Leeds to tie Calvert-Lewin down to a new deal.
He might be 29, but handing him a contract beyond 2028 is something Leeds have got to do if they are to maintain their established status in the top flight. Leeds need Calvert-Lewin for as long as possible.
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