Dwight McNeil in action for Burnley.(Getty images)
According to Lancs Live (h/t The Shields Gazette), Newcastle are leading the race to sign Burnley forward Dwight McNeil, who could be available for £35m in the summer.
McNeil, 20, is one of the emerging talents in the country and has been in brilliant form since moving away from Manchester United’s youth system. He has impressed in the last two campaigns and also earned a spot in the England U21 squad.
The youngster has gone from strength to strength and his potential has attracted a lot of interest including Newcastle United, who are keen on him, as per the report.
The Magpies have struggled to stay in the top half of the league after a run of inconsistent performances that started from the Boxing day 1-4 loss to Manchester United. Since then, they have won only twice in the league, falling to 13th position.
Newcastle boss Steve Bruce signed Valentino Lazaro and Nabil Bentaleb on loan to improve their attack but that has not happened. And one of the major reasons for their lacklustre performance is the lack of attacking quality. They have scored just 25 goals, which is the joint-lowest in the league so far.
Joelinton, Andy Carroll, Dwight Gayle and Yoshinori Muto have been abysmal in front of goal. They have combined to score just one goal between themselves, with most of them coming from the midfield areas. Wingers Allan Saint-Maximin, Christian Atsu and Miguel Almiron have also failed to support the strikers.
Therefore, Bruce has a lot of work to do in the summer and bringing attacking reinforcements would be the only ideal solution for the club. In that case, making a move for Burnley and England U21 sensation Dwight McNeil would be a wise decision.
The youngster has featured regularly for the Clarets this term, scoring 2 goals and providing 5 assists, and has been influential in their recent success. He has the ability to succeed in the Premier League and could be a boost for the magpies if he joins them.
When none of Newcastle’s forwards performing well, McNeil has been on the rise in the past couple of years. He finished last season with 3 goals and 5 assists, and has also equalled that this term and is considered to be one of the brightest young talents in Britain.
With Atsu entering his final year of contract and the rest of the squad underperforming, the manager should look to sign wingers to add firepower to their attack. The English U21 international can provide them with the quality up front and he can also help them with much-needed goals.
