Dowell is set for January re-call before being loaned out again

Kieran Dowell looks set to move clubs this month, with Everton keen to end his Derby loan spell early, according to reports.

The 22-year old will be immediately loaned out again, as reported by the Liverpool Echo, with the playmaker set to join Wigan until the end of the season.

Once tipped for great things on Merseyside, Dowell has struggled to impress for the Rams this season.

Having enjoyed successive loan spells of moderate success with Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United, Dowell was expected to kick on with Derby and help them in their promotion ambitions.

Instead, Derby are 17th in the Championship table, and Dowell has just made ten appearances in all competitions.

Now Everton will hope that the midfielder can kick on with Wigan, with his long-term career on Merseyside unclear.

Read Everton Verdict

It is a real shame that Dowell hasn’t been able to kick on, because for a small time, him and Tom Davies looked to be the future of the club. Now Davies has kicked on, whereas Dowell has been left bouncing from loan club to loan club.

While there is still a chance that Dowell could come good for Everton, I can’t personally see it happening, with the midfielder likely to fall into the same boat as Matthew Pennington, Luke Garbutt and Callum Connolly.

Hopefully Dowell succeeds with the Lactics, more so for his own future than anything, but I don’t see much of a chance that he’ll be an Everton first-team player any time soon.