Everton, Crystal Palace and Aston Villa are keen to sign Dwight McNeil in January, but Burnley’s £40 million asking price may scupper a deal.
According to The Sun, Dwight McNeil is back in demand among Premier League clubs as a January move could be on the cards. Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Everton have all shown interest in the winger, although Burnley’s potential £40 million asking price could scupper any possible deal.
Many clubs had significant interest in the winger during the summer, including Manchester United, Aston Villa and Everton. But Burnley’s £35 million valuation warded off suitors.
A key part of Sean Dyche’s setup, the winger has seen his stock grow over the last two seasons. But the Englishman has seen a considerable dip in form this term, registering only a single assist in the Premier League. Nevertheless, he is still regularly selected in the starting eleven, which has seen him feature in all of Burnley’s 17 games so far.
The summer arrival of Maxwel Cornet has somewhat overshadowed his presence in the side, with the Ivorian proving his importance in a short span since signing for the Clarets. With the team not performing very well in current circumstances, Dyche might be tempted to raise some funds through sales in order to invest in new players, with McNeil one among those who could be offloaded.
Crystal Palace want to add quality young players to their ranks to improve their squad depth. But given the options for the wide areas among their ranks, it is hard to see McNeil become a sure starter at the club, although he could be a good squad player for Patrick Vieira.
Everton and Villa were reportedly competing for his signature late in the summer, although they turned their attention away due to the high asking price. Steven Gerrard, like Vieira, is interested in adding to Villa’s squad depth and quality with the signing of McNeil, especially given Leon Bailey’s injury and Anwar El Ghazi’s uncertain future.
As for Everton, they have a strong interest in McNeil. There are not many left-sided wingers in the Toffees ranks, which could be a position that McNeil can make his own at Goodison Park for years to come. However, considering their financial situation, it is hard to see the Merseysiders paying a high price.
As things stand, Burnley might be open to doing business for McNeil, although they might face a problem with clubs agreeing to their asking price as the interested Premier League sides consider him a player worth £20 million at most. However, if a reasonable price is negotiated, a deal could be completed.