Tuesday 11 August 2020 17:23, UK
Leicester City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, AC Milan and Juventus are among the clubs in pursuit of Burnley winger Dwight McNeil.
The 20-year-old started every Premier League game for Burnley last season, playing all but 75 minutes of top-flight football as the Clarets finished tenth.
Leicester's interest is long-held with Brendan Rodgers keen to add a talented left-footed winger to his ranks alongside Ayoze Perez, Demarai Gray and Marc Albrighton who are all right-footed.
Only Harvey Barnes is a natural fit on the left wing - and McNeil fits Leicester's profile for new players perfectly - young, strong character and a desire to improve.
So that with good coaching, and his value in the market is likely to increase.
Wolves, too, think that McNeil would be a valuable addition as Nuno Espírito Santo moves to improve the depth of attacking options in his small squad.
The ACL injury to Jonny has reduced Wolves' options on the left-hand side and McNeil would offer an alternative.
Sean Dyche said in March that there would be much more hype around McNeil if he was playing for a more "fashionable" club, and went on to say that - while Burnley have no need to sell - the "natural economics" of football mean it might be hard to turn down a big offer from a top side.
McNeil is Burnley born and bred, but his performances have impressed some of the biggest clubs on the continent too.
The interest from Milan and Juventus follows a trend of European clubs being attracted to some of the best young, English talent.
Last season, McNeil became the youngest player since Raheem Sterling to reach 10 Premier League assists - he managed six in total, and two goals, in his breakthrough campaign.
McNeil's versatility is a big part of his appeal. This season he has shown a willingness to work back and defend, and has proved he's comfortable playing wide right, wide left, or through the middle.
The summer transfer window will run for 10 weeks from July 27 and close at 11pm on October 5.
A domestic-only window for trades between the Premier League and EFL then runs from October 5 and closes on Friday October 16 at 5pm. Follow all the news and analysis on Sky Sports News and across Sky Sports' digital platforms, including with our dedicated Transfer Centre blog.
