Everton have confirmed on their official website that they have completed the capture of Dwight McNeil from Burnley. The Merseyside club has revealed that the English winger has penned a five-year deal with the Toffees.
McNeil’s Difficult Campaign With Burnley Recently
McNeil had a tough campaign at Turf Moor as he failed to be productive for the Clarets in the final third. He couldn’t manage to save Burnley from being relegated to the EFL Championship last season.
The 22-year-old secured just one assist in 40 matches for the Lancashire club in various competitions. McNeil caught the eye at times with his performances out in the wide areas after he averaged 2.1 tackles, 0.9 interceptions, 1.4 shots, 1.2 key passes and 2.4 dribbles per game in the Premier League. The English sensation even linked up play well with others around him, as evidenced by his pass completion rate of 77.7% in the English top tier (stats via whoscored).
What Will McNeil Add To Everton Boss Frank Lampard’s Team?
McNeil is a tough-tackling wide player who usually works hard to earn possession back for his team. He is a decent dribbler with the ball at his feet and can set up a few promising opportunities for his teammates to find the back of the net. McNeil is a hard-working wide player who is versatile enough to play anywhere across the frontline. He mainly operates as a left-winger but can even play on the right flank or as an attacking midfielder down the middle if required.
The Rochdale-born talent can even strike the ball well from long range. Someone with his skillset and potential could turn out to be a welcome acquisition for the Toffees this summer.
We can expect McNeil to add more energy and dynamism to Frank Lampard‘s attacking department as long as he can make a smooth transition to life at the Merseyside club. Furthermore, he could even serve as an ideal replacement for Richarlison, who joined Tottenham Hotspur earlier this summer, at Goodison Park.
At 22, McNeil has the ceiling to become a world-class winger someday. However, for that to happen, he needs to work on improving his overall game with each year. All in all, Everton have done well to bring him on board during this summer transfer period.
