Sean Dyche ‘badly wanted to sign Everton star’ but Nottingham Forest blocked deal
Nottingham Forest were not prepared to match Crystal Palace’s offer to sign Everton winger Dwight McNeil in the January window.
That is according to ex-Everton, Aston Villa, and Aberdeen chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, after McNeil’s Everton exit broke down at the last minute on deadline day.
Crystal Palace had agreed a £20million deal for McNeil to move to Selhurst Park, but the 26-year-old will remain on Merseyside for the rest of the season after the transfer did not go through.
Nottingham Forest were backed to sign McNeil, who had previously played under Sean Dyche at both Everton and Burnley.
Nottingham Forest pulled out of Dwight McNeil pursuit
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes Dyche was keen to bring McNeil to the City Ground.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast, Wyness is “surprised” by Nottingham Forest‘s stance.
He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “I was a bit surprised that Forest didn’t come in for him as well.
“I think Sean Dyche wanted him badly, but they weren’t prepared to go to the same sort of level of the £20 million that Palace had. Look, it’s just disappointing.
“I know there’s been his wife, girlfriend, partner has come out, having a go about this, but I’m afraid it is part and parcel of the game.”
Sean Dyche misses out on second transfer target
Nottingham Forest could not find a breakthrough on deadline day to sign Celtic midfielder Arne Engels.
Celtic rejected a bid worth up to £25m by Nottingham Forest for Engels, with the Glasgow club not willing to sell the 22-year-old late in the January window.
Dyche instead signed left-back Luca Netz from Borussia Monchengladbach on deadline day, to go alongside loan recruit Douglas Luiz.