Dwight McNeil had been in Everton’s sights for some time before finally arriving at Goodison last week.
In fact, the former Burnley winger was on last summer’s shortlist for Rafa Benitez as the Spanish manager looked to bolster the squad on a budget before his arrival. The 22-year-old signed for the Toffees on Thursday after a fee of around £20million was agreed with his former club, putting pen to paper on a five-year contract.
He followed James Tarkowski in leaving Turf Moor for Merseyside, with Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Vinagre also joining on loan last week. But Dwight McNeil’s arrival at Everton could have happened a year earlier with Benitez keen last summer to bring in traditional wide-men.
