Aston Villa have been handed a major boost in their pursuit to sign Burnley winger Dwight McNeil this summer.

What's the story?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT regarding West Ham's reported interest in the player, journalist Paul Brown said: “I think there are agents putting his name out there with various clubs. I think he’s probably an option for West Ham, but I don’t think they’re pushing particularly hard for him at the moment.”

With Villa recently linked to the Burnley man, this will be welcome news and could give them an advantage if they are more determined than others to do the deal.

McNeil is keen on remaining a Premier League player and with Burnley having been relegated his only option now is to depart Turf Moor.

He could be available for as little as £15m, but with at least two years remaining on his contract, the Clarets are in a strong negotiating position.

Supporters will love the news

Supporters of Villa will be delighted to hear the news that West Ham aren't pushing hard to sign McNeil and will be hoping that their club makes a move for the player as soon as possible.

At just 22 years old, it seems a no-brainer to sign a player of his quality for a potentially small fee. Despite still being young, the Englishman isn't short of experience in the top flight having played 134 games over five seasons as a senior player at Burnley.

It will be an emotional goodbye for the player who joined the club's youth setup after being released from Manchester United at age 14, but it's one that's needed for him to continue his remarkable development.

His record last season wasn't the best, but in a side that was in a constant relegation battle, it's hard for a forward player to shine. However, he did create six big chances and boasted an average pass accuracy of 78%.

Moving to Villa Park and being part of a forward line which includes the likes of Ollie Watkins and Philippe Coutinho will surely be attractive to McNeil.

It will also allow him to properly express himself in a side that plays more attractive football than what we've seen over the years at Turf Moor.

AND in other news: Gerrard could land his very own Jude Bellingham in Villa swoop for £50m"joy to watch"