‘Dwight McNeil’s days at Everton are numbered’, he’s ready to jump ship for mid-table rival in £20m deal
Dwight McNeil made just his fifth Premier League appearance of the season on Saturday.
The 26-year-old came off the bench for the final 10 minutes of Everton’s 4-1 defeat to Newcastle at the Hill Dickinson Stadium – and that now looks as though it could be one of his final matches for the Merseyside club.
It’s been reported that McNeil‘s “days at Everton seem numbered” and that he could leave the Blues in the upcoming January transfer window.
Last month, former Toffees scout Bryan King admitted that McNeil’s attitude could be an issue at Finch Farm after he played 90 minutes of the Under-21s’ 5-1 defeat to Bradford City.
However, his lack of appearances, potential price tag and questions around his professionalism might not stop him from joining another Premier League club.
Everton want £20m for Dwight McNeil sale
Alan Nixon reported via his Patreon on Sunday that Everton are looking to recoup the £20million they paid for McNeil when he joined them from Burnley in 2022.
It is understood that while he was previously “tipped for a massive move not so long ago”, the former Clarets winger would now jump at the chance of joining a mid-table rival in the Premier League.
| Appearances | Minutes per Everton PL game | |
| 2022-23 | 36 | 65.7 |
| 2023-24 | 35 | 76.2 |
| 2024-25 | 21 | 36.0 |
| 2025-26 | 5 | 4.9 |
It remains to be seen what clubs could show concrete interest in McNeil in January, but with the ex-England Under-21s international almost completely out of the picture at the Hill Dickinson, it’s likely that David Moyes will sanction any sale if he can get anywhere near £20m back.
McNeil’s been restricted to just two first-team starts this season, with both of them coming in the Carabao Cup.
However, in the league, he’s played just five times, with all of those appearances being as a substitute – and it’s fair to say those performances have been less than convincing.
Who could McNeil join in the winter?
So far, two clubs have been linked with a move for McNeil in January – but neither are mid-table in the Premier League.
Wolves have been backed to sign McNeil. However, it remains to be seen if the winger will want to go to Molineux on a permanent basis, as he’ll basically be confirming a spot in the 2026/27 Championship season.
Unsurprisingly, Nottingham Forest’s former Everton manager Sean Dyche is also keen on McNeil.
Dyche managed the Rochdale-born attacker at Burnley before selling him to the Toffees three years ago when Frank Lampard was in charge.
It’s fair to say that McNeil’s best football has been when he’s played for Dyche, with Moyes clearly preferring other options in the wide areas since he took control at the club.
Forest’s form has started to pick up lately, so they could find themselves moving away from the Premier League’s relegation zone.
With just over 18 months left on his deal with the Blues, a reunion with Dyche could make a lot of sense as long as Forest have the cash that the Merseysiders want.
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