Leeds United must sign £20m-rated Everton ace as Harry Wilson alternative in January

Leeds United seem to have clicked under the guidance of Daniel Farke over recent weeks. They drew 1-1 away at Sunderland last time out with striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin carrying on his eye-catching form. The Whites are sat in 16th place in the table after 18 fixtures.

They are now seven points above the drop zone and have created a bit of a cushion between them and the bottom three. The Yorkshire outfit were promoted from the Championship last season so survival is their aim. Next up is a tricky away trip to Anfield on New Year’s Day to face Liverpool before a home clash against Manchester United.

Leeds United should target Everton winger Dwight McNeil

Leeds will get the chance to bring in some new faces in the January transfer window. They could do with some more competition and depth in their squad, especially at the top end of the pitch as they look to beat the drop. Farke will be weighing up potential targets this winter.

The Whites tried to sign Fulham winger Harry Wilson in the summer. However, nothing materialised in the end and he stayed put at Craven Cottage beyond the last deadline. He has since become a key player under Marco Silva and appears unlikely to leave anytime soon.

Therefore, Leeds may need to start looking at potential alternatives in his position ahead of next month. With that in mind, Everton’s Dwight McNeil is someone they must consider. According to journalist Alan Nixon on his Patreon page back in November, he is facing an uncertain future at the Hill Dickinson Stadium and his price tag is around the £20million mark.

Like Wilson, McNeil is left footed and he is capable of playing on both flanks. His contract with the Toffees expires in June 2027 meaning he still has over a year left to run down. David Moyes’ could be tempted to cash in on him though if a decent offer comes in to avoid losing him for nothing when his deal eventually expires.

Why Everton’s Dwight McNeil would be a worth a punt by Leeds United

McNeil is a proven performer in the Premier League and has bags of experience. If he joined Leeds, he would inject more quality into their starting XI. He would also prove them with something different to call upon in games.

The Rochdale-born man started his career at Manchester United and rose up through their academy. He was a regular for the Red Devils at various different youth levels before switching to Burnley. The ex-England youth international then broke into the first-team at Turf Moor.

McNeil went on to become an important asset for the Clarets and scored seven goals in 147 matches before Everton came calling. He has since found the net on 15 occasions in 112 outings for the Toffees. He hasn’t been able to make the impact he would have wanted to though since Moyes replaced Sean Dyche so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him move on soon for a fresh start. Leeds would be an ideal next destination and the change of scene would do him the world of good.