Former Preston North End forward Jordan Hugill moved to Middlesbrough on loan from West Ham United in the summer transfer window.
Hugill joined Middlesbrough on loan from Premier League club West Ham in the summer after struggling to make an impact at the London Stadium during the second half of the 2017-18 campaign.
The 26-year-old forward moved to Hammers from Preston in January 2018 for a transfer fee reported by Football.London to be worth £10 million.
Neil worked with Hugill at Preston, and he has admitted that he did look into the possibility of signing the forward on loan in the summer transfer window.
“The loan fee attached to the move and the wages which were attached are not in the same stratosphere of where we are at,” Neil told The Lancashire Post about Hugill.
“I wasn’t surprised Jordan moved on from West Ham, he’s the type of lad who wants to play football. When it is made clear to a player that you won’t feature that much, naturally you need to move on to play.”
Issa Diop praise
Meanwhile, former Tottenham Hotspur forward Garth Crooks has praised West Ham United central defender Issa Diop for his performance against Chelsea in the London derby this past weekend.
The 21-year-old central defender featured for the Hammers in their goalless draw with the Blues at the London Stadium in the Premier League this past Sunday.
Crooks wrote on BBC Sport while including Diop in his Premier League Team of the Week: “He was outstanding against Everton last week and was unlucky not to make my TOTW then.
“However, another outstanding performance by Issa Diop and a clean sheet – against Chelsea of all teams, having been battered in the opening exchanges – has not gone unnoticed.”
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