Revealed: The reason why David Moyes will delay Dwight McNeil’s Nottingham Forest move
David Moyes is unlikely to allow Dwight McNeil to join Nottingham Forest next month until he has both Iliman Ndiaye and Kiernan Dewsbuy-Hall back available for selection.
McNeil has started just one Premier League game for Everton this season after falling down the pecking order in attack following numerous summer arrivals.
He has featured 10 times in all competitions, with no goal contributions as yet, and could well be on his way out of the Hill Dickinson Stadium next month.
Football Insider recently revealed that Wolves had set their sights on signing McNeil in the January window as they aim to survive relegation miraculously under Rob Edwards.
Instead, he is now also being linked with a move to the City Ground to reunite with former Toffees boss Sean Dyche, but Moyes is seemingly not set to make an exit easy for the 26-year-old.
Moyes will only allow McNeil to leave Everton with Ndiaye and Dewsbury-Hall back available
Everton lost 1-0 to league leaders Arsenal on Saturday night to drop to 10th in the Premier League, but they still harbour ambitions of qualifying for Europe this season.
McNeil could be on his way out in January, as according to The Telegraph, Dyche is targeting a reunion with him as he prepares for his first transfer window at Forest.
Dyche has managed McNeil twice before, at Burnley and Everton, and wants to offer the 26-year-old a fresh start at the City Ground.
Despite Forest being so keen on a deal, the report states that Moyes is set to delay sanctioning a deal as Ndiaye is away with Senegal for the Africa Cup of Nations, while Dewsbury-Hall is also sidelined with a hamstring injury.
When Ndiaye and Dewsbury-Hall could return to action for Everton
Moyes handed McNeil his maiden start of the campaign against Arsenal last time out, but he was taken off in the 75th minute after failing to have a shot on goal, create a chance, or win any of his four attempted duels.
The Toffees are clearly thin in attacking areas with two of their stars missing right now, but it shouldn’t be too long before both Ndiaye and Dewsbury-Hall are back playing in royal blue.
The AFCON final is scheduled for 18 January, and so if Ndiaye’s Senegal do make it that far, he is still set to be back on Merseyside for their 26 January clash against Leeds, and could even return much earlier if they are dumped out in the group stage or early knockout rounds.
Dewsbury-Hall suffered a hamstring injury against Chelsea on 13 December, but he took to social media following the setback to describe it as only a “little blip.”
An injury expert has said that Dewsbury-Hall is set to return against Forest on 30 December, and so McNeil could well be allowed to join the City Ground outfit as soon as Ndiaye is back available to Moyes.