You wait all summer for a couple of eye-catching signings and two arrive at once. Insert bus-based pun here.
After Everton announced Ruben Vinagre’s return to the Premier League – the former Wolverhampton Wanderers whizzkid arriving on a loan-to-buy deal from Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon – Dwight McNeil was confirmed as the third new face to join Frank Lampard’s squad since the Toffees survived relegation by the skin of their teeth in May.
According to The Athletic, Everton will pay Burnley £20 million for the England U21 international. But while the speculation over McNeil’s future can be put to bed, the debate over how best to utilise the versatile playmaker is only just beginning.
Dwight McNeil joins Everton
McNeil, The Athletic adds, sees himself more a central midfielder, or a number 10. The 22-year-old’s best attribute, however, is arguably his crossing ability. McNeil burst onto the scene at Turf Moor during the 2019/20 as a left-footed left-winger; His on-the-money deliveries setting up six goals for his Burnley team-mates.
Last term, as McNeil drifted into a more central role, he mustered just one assist across 38 games.
But wherever McNeil fits in at Everton, you can bet your bottom dollar that Dominic Calvert-Lewin will be licking his lips at the arrival of a one-time Manchester United youngster. Lampard’s number nine is the sort of centre-forward who relies on quality service. It is no coincidence that the goals dried up once James Rodriguez and Lucas Digne – Everton’s two most creative players – left the club.
Calvert-Lewin should be much improved in 2022/23, however, with McNeil providing a steady stream of high-quality crosses. Dele Alli, a player at his most effective when making late runs into the penalty area, could also benefit from NcNeil’s arrival. Ditto Solomon Rondon.
“I could see him at a club like Manchester United. I think he is good enough,” says former Burnley striker Peter Crouch.
“The first session, I asked the lads about him because I didn’t know much about him. I knew straight away from training that the lad has talent. He hasn’t got a great deal of pace but he goes past people and he is comfortable on the ball
“He is a level headed lad. The grounding that he’s had at Burnley will benefit him when he eventually goes on to a bigger club, which he will do.”
Decisions to be made
Lampard, after replacing Rafa Benitez on the blue side of Stanley Park, utilised a 3-4-2-1 formation throughout much of last term. McNeil certainly has the energy and the work-rate to thrive as a wing-back at Goodison. He could also play in a more inverted role – perhaps in the position vacated by Richarlison – with Ruben Vinagre bombing down the flanks alongside him.
Vinagre, blessed with blistering pace and real technical ability, puts the ‘wing’ in wing-back. The former Portugal U21 ace is not the most reliable defender, however – as Wolves fans will tell you. One suspects he’d therefore benefit from playing in a back-five rather than a back-four.
Vinagre will compete for a starting place with Vitaliy Mykolenko. The former Dynamo Kiev youngster struggled initially after arriving in January but has improved notably in recent months, particularly in the final third. He scored one and set up another during the 4-2 friendly victory over Blackpool recently.
Could Gueye return to Goodison?
Everton are also in the market for a deep-lying ball-winner. A ‘number six’ who would provide the mobility 31-year-old Allan lacks. The Toffees have informed Real Betis of their interest in Guido Rodriguez, though the Argentine international may be too expensive at £33 million.
So enter Idrissa Gana Gueye. A familiar and popular presence at Goodison, Gueye is in talks to re-join his old employers after falling out of favour at Paris Saint-Germain (Fabrizio Romano). Alongside James Tarkowski – the very definition of a reliable, 7/10 performer – Gueye should massively improve an error-prone defence crying out for leadership and consistency.
No one in the Premier League averaged more tackles per game (4.3) than the Senegal ankle-biter during his final season at Everton in 2018/19 (WhoScored). Gueye may be three years older these days but he still looks an immediate upgrade on Allan and the eternally-injury-prone and now-departed Fabian Delph.
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