Dwight McNeil Transfer News & Odds

Ever since making his first start at 18 years of age for Burnley on the final day of the 2017-18 Premier League season against Bournemouth, Dwight McNeil has caught many eyes with his performances for the club.

But, after six consecutive seasons spent in the Premier League, the Clarets were finally relegated back to the second tier following a poor 2021-22 season in which they only picked up seven wins all season.

Sean Dyche, who was responsible for bringing through McNeil and giving him his first-team debut, was sacked as manager with eight games of the season left to go as Burnley looked to beat the drop. But the decision was unsuccessful, as Burnley finished 18th and will now spend next season in the Championship.

The relegation will instantly cost the club £55m in TV revenue, but the more concerning thing is reports that the club’s relegation triggers an early repayment clause in a £65m loan they received from an American private investment firm.

Things are not looking good for Burnley financially, and they may look to sell players in order to pay off the loan. Dwight McNeil is one such player that could be sold, and here we look at the clubs who are interested in him.

Aston Villa have backed Steven Gerrard heavily ever since they appointed the former Liverpool midfielder as manager, with their most recent signing being the £17m addition of Philippe Coutinho to add to the other signings they have made. Could the Villans add Dwight McNeil as part of their project under Gerrard?

The current wide forwards that Villa have in their ranks are all failing to impress Steven Gerrard at the moment, with the likes of Bertrand Traore and Leon Bailey having just one goal between them this season.

Traore has failed to impress ever since joining the club, registering just nine goals and seven assists in 55 league appearances for the club, and he may be moved on as Gerrard looks to trim more fat from his squad.

The same could be said for Bailey, who despite being signed for £25m, has not performed as was expected of him. In 18 appearances, the former Bayer Leverkusen man has scored just one goal and got two assists, also missing nine games this season through injury. And when he has played, the Jamaican has failed to make an impact on games, so could Gerrard look to try something new with the signing of McNeil.

The Englishman is restricted by the defensive football that Burnley plays, but under Gerrard, McNeil could really shine and show his true talents in a more attacking system. And with wingers Anwar El Ghazi and Trezeguet both currently out on loan at Everton and Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir respectively, Villa will surely be looking to get rid of at least one of them this window, and McNeil could be who Villa sign as a replacement.

The odds of Dwight McNeil joining Aston Villa are 4/1 - click on the link to claim this bet into your bet slip!

Everton’s years of splashing big money with no results finally caught up with them this season as they seriously flirted with relegation.

In the end, the Toffees just about managed to survive, but because of how close they came, there will surely be a change in how the club is run. Gone will be the days of signing stars with no plan as to how they will integrate into the Everton set-up, and surely now there will be a focus on signing cheaper and younger players, and McNeil could be one of those players.

The youth model has been relatively successful for Everton this season, with the likes of Anthony Gordon and Jarrad Branthwaite impressing in their limited outings this season. Goals from Gordon in wins against Manchester United and Leeds were key results in the Toffees’ survival fight, as was Branthwaite’s goal in a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Chelsea earlier in the season.

So 21-year-old Gordon and 19-year-old Branthwaite have impressed this season and been important players for the club – with the youth performing so well this season, Everton could see 22-year-old McNeil as another player who could be key for them as they look to avoid another relegation-threatened season next year.

And despite some impressive outings for the Toffees this season, Andros Townsend’s season was unfortunately cut short by a horrific knee injury suffered against Crystal Palace in March, with the winger confirmed to have suffered damage to his anterior cruciate ligament.

After suffering such a serious injury, it is unlikely that Townsend will get back to being the player he was, so Everton may look to sign a younger player like McNeil, who as well as being a key player for his side, is reliable fitness-wise having missed just four games through injury in his entire career.

This deal is currently at 5/1 odds.

Fulham are back in the top flight for the first time since the 2020/21 season, and this time they will be looking to cement their survival in the league for more than one campaign and not repeat the mistakes of the past.

The last time Fulham were in the top flight they spent over £100m on players, but still ended up being relegated. Their decision to buy highly-rated players with no thought as to how they would fit into the side as well as cope with the intensity of the Premier League proved to be their undoing.

Fulham will definitely need to strengthen this summer if they want a shot at a long stay in the Premier League, but they will need to be wary of not repeating the mistakes of the past. So, one profile of players they will be looking for is players with Premier League experience, which McNeil has in abundance.

Since his debut in 2018, McNeil has made 134 top-flight appearances, starting in 126 of those appearances. So looking at experienced players like McNeil should be Fulham’s strategy as they look to stay up, and they will be needing reinforcements anyway, with forwards Anthony Knockaert and Neeskens Kebano’s contracts both coming to an end next year.

The duo are both 30 as well, and so Fulham may look to be rid of them and get in younger players like McNeil to replace them.

The odds of the Englishman joining the promoted side are 7/1.

Wolves have enjoyed a relatively good season under new manager Bruno Lage, ultimately finishing in the top half of the table under the Portuguese coach.

This summer, their focus will now be on the likes of McNeil as they will be looking to make signings in a push for European football next season.

The future of Adama Traore is unclear at the club, with the winger being sent on loan to Barcelona this season. But he has failed to impress at the Blaugrana, and reports state that they will not be activating the clause in his contract to make his move permanent. And the winger has long been maligned by the Wolves faithful for his lack of end product, registering just seven league goals for Wolves since the 2019-20 season.

So with Traore’s contract up in 12 months' time, it is likely that he could depart the club that he has been at since 2018. And to replace him, Wolves may decide to sign McNeil – an exciting, tricky winger like Traore, but his talents have been hampered due to Burnley’s style of play, so could Molineux be the destination for him to really show off his talents?

Last season, Wolves’ main attacking threats provided very little in terms of goals, as Daniel Podence had two, Pedro Neto had one, Ruben Neves had four, Hwang only scored five and the on-loan Francisco Trincao got on the scoresheet twice. So a move for McNeil may be on the cards as a result, with the young Englishman contributing to at least seven goals in three of his four seasons at Burnley.

A move to Bruno Lage’s side for McNeil is currently at 8/1 odds.

Another manager that is building something exciting in the Premier League club is Patrick Vieira, with the Frenchman impressing during his first season at the helm at Selhurst Park.

A 12th place finish, which included memorable wins over Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham, was a good start for Vieira at Selhurst Park, but it is his squad and style of play that has really got fans excited.

The Eagles finished the season as the tenth-highest goalscorers in the league, with 50 to their name. And it is due to not only impressive performances from the usual suspects like Zaha that have contributed to their league finish but because of the players brought in by Vieira over the summer that have contributed to Palace’s efforts this season.

Vieira was heavily backed in the summer, with the additions of exciting young midfielders Michael Olise from Reading, highly-rated defenders Marc Guehi and Joachim Andersen from Chelsea and Lyon respectively, and striker Odsonne Edouard. All four of those players are 25 or under, with Olise, at just 20, the youngest.

The business conducted by the club was an indicator of the kind of players that Vieira wants – young, highly talented players who could slot straight into the starting XI and make an instant impact, but could also fetch a high price were a bigger club to come calling. And McNeil fits this profile, with the young forward one of Burnley’s best attackers.

Playing in Burnley’s system has limited his capabilities, but Vieira’s brand of attacking football would suit the Englishman, and he would not cost a fortune for Palace due to Burnley’s relegation status meaning that they cannot ask for a high fee.

With Burnley desperate for money due to their precarious financial situation, they would surely have to accept an offer below McNeil’s actual value were it to come in.

A transfer to Crystal Palace is currently at 10/1 odds.