- West Ham United have registered interest in Everton winger Dwight McNeil this summer
- Crystal Palace pulled out of a £20m deal in February despite McNeil completing his medical
- McNeil is out of contract in 2027 and considered surplus to requirements under Moyes
Dwight McNeil’s future at Everton looks uncertain again, with West Ham the latest club to register an interest in the winger – though any deal carries significant complications before talks could even begin in earnest.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side were relegated from the Premier League in May and will play Championship football next season. Whether McNeil, who turns 27 in November, has any appetite to drop into the second tier is a question that will go to the heart of these enquiries.
West Ham’s interest is not new – they were in talks to sign McNeil from Burnley in the summer of 2022 before Everton moved decisively to beat them to his signature for around £20m.
Four years on, McNeil’s position at the Hill Dickinson is now as uncertain as it has ever been. He had a difficult 2025-26 season under David Moyes, contributing just one assist in the Premier League, and found himself increasingly on the periphery as the campaign wore on.
The signing of Jack Grealish on loan from City, Tyrique on loan George from Chelsea and the outstanding form of Iliman Ndiaye effectively demoted him down the pecking order, and Moyes sanctioned his departure in January as a result.
Palace heartbreak
What followed was one of the more painful episodes of McNeil’s time on Merseyside. A £20m loan-to-buy move to Crystal Palace was agreed, his medical completed and terms settled with all parties – only for Palace to pull out at the 11th hour for reasons that were never publicly explained.
McNeil expressed his hurt on social media shortly afterwards, he and his partner having been set on a move to London. It was a dispiriting end to a window that had promised a resolution.
Everton have made clear they remain open to offers this summer. At a current market value of around £18m, a permanent sale would represent decent business for a club that continues to manage its finances carefully. The risk, as in January, is that a Championship destination limits the field and reduces the fee.
McNeil still has qualities that ought to attract Premier League interest – his delivery with that peach of a left foot, work rate and crossing ability were never the problem – but at 26, with his contract expiring in 2027, time is not on his side when it comes to finding the next right move.
Everton will want a clear-cut outcome. Whether West Ham, rebuilding under Nuno in the second tier, can provide one is another matter entirely.
