According to a report by Sky Sports, Crystal Palace have sent in a late bid for Everton winger Dwight McNeil. The price is said to be £20 million, a number that would be a profit over the cost they paid to get the player from Burnley back in 2022.
Earlier in the day, Nottingham Forest were thought to be in the mix for the player, as Forest are currently managed by Sean Dyche, who previously coached McNeil at both Burnley and Everton.
Crystal Palace came in very late in the day to submit an initial bid closer to £12 million, and that appeared to be the end of things. But this later submission may be piquing Everton's interest, even as they wait for the move for Tyrique George to go through with Chelsea.
With just around 90 minutes to go until the transfer window closes, Everton have plenty of work to do in order to get any business, including selling McNeil, over the line.
Defender Nathan Patterson seems set to stay at Everton, according to The Bobble, and a deal for Fulham's Harry Wilson does not seem like it's going to materialize, so that means the focus is on getting George done (The Bobble indicates his medical is done) and deciding on McNeil's future.
Adding George to the mix would seem to be adequate cover for McNeil, although it would not add to David Moyes' depth options. Instead, he'd get a younger, more skilled player in McNeil's spot in the team, someone who can probably start a few games while also functioning as super sub off the bench.
The deadline is nearly here, so Everton don't have much time to waste. But getting a profit for a player who hasn't been particularly useful under the current manager does seem like a shrewd move, even if it creates a hold in the near term.