Everton’s squad is in a strange place right now. Saturday’s dramatic 3-2 win at Newcastle lifted spirits and kept European hopes alive, but beneath the surface, some players know their time at the club is running out.
The January transfer window was meant to offer an escape. A move was agreed, paperwork was expected, and a new chapter awaited. Then silence. The deal collapsed, and the player was left to return to a dressing room where his place had already been filled.
McNeil’s failed move leaves him in limbo
Dwight McNeil was ready to leave Everton in January. Crystal Palace had agreed a £20m deal, and the winger was preparing to swap Merseyside for Selhurst Park. Then, according to reports, Eagles chairman Steve Parish went quiet on deadline day. The paperwork never arrived. The move collapsed.
McNeil’s partner made her feelings clear on social media afterwards, suggesting the family had been left with empty promises. For the player himself, the situation was equally frustrating. He returned to Everton knowing he had been ready to leave, and that knowledge does not simply disappear when the window closes.
Since then, McNeil has not featured under David Moyes. He has been an unused substitute in the last two Premier League games against Manchester United and Brighton, watching from the bench while others take the minutes he might have hoped for. However, he had an impactful game against Newcastle United, contributing to the 3-2 away win.
Former Everton scout Bryan King believes the situation is now beyond repair. King said, “It all fell down, and everyone thought a move to Crystal Palace was going through. There was obviously a reason why he wanted to leave the club, and now he’s pulled back in. I don’t think he’s the number one pick anywhere on the pitch, so I would think there will be an exit in the summer.”
King’s assessment of the financial reality was blunt. “I think it will be a minimal amount of money. If Everton can even get £5m for him now, it will be handy.”
Alcaraz injury opens a door McNeil could use
Yet football has a habit of offering unexpected chances. Just as McNeil’s season appeared destined to fade into irrelevance, Carlos Alcaraz suffered an injury in training that will keep the Argentine out for three to four weeks. Alcaraz was expected to start against Newcastle United before his setback, and his absence leaves a gap in Moyes’ attacking options.
READ MORE: Everton midfielder out for 4 weeks as latest injury hits David Moyes’s camp
Alcaraz had made only six league starts since his move was made permanent last summer, often used as an impact substitute in the final third. With him sidelined until after the international break, that role now needs filling. McNeil, for all his frustrations, remains a senior option with Premier League experience.
The next few weeks could determine whether McNeil’s Everton story ends quietly or whether he gets a chance to remind everyone what he can do. The player wanted to leave in January. That much is clear. But while he remains at Hill Dickinson Stadium, he has an opportunity to contribute. Alcaraz’s misfortune might be McNeil’s unexpected lifeline.
Whether he takes it, and whether it changes anything come summer, remains to be seen. But for now, the door is slightly open.
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