Everton have been getting stuck into the winter transfer window after a disappointing start to the season that has left the club just six points away from the relegation zone, and are clearly using the January window as an opportunity to turn their struggles around and climb the table in the last five months of the league, but one target is apparently off the table.

What's the word?

Daily Express Journalist, Ryan Taylor, has offered an insight on the potential transfer of Dwight McNeil from Burnley to Everton during this transfer window during his transfer round-up on YouTube.

Taylor said: “After losing Chris Wood, doesn’t look like Burnley would entertain losing McNeil,”

“Everton are interested and he remains a long-term target for the club. If Burnley were to go down, I’d expect them [Everton] to potentially move for him.”

McNeil has been linked with a move to the Merseyside club over the last month, and it's not the first time Rafa Benitez has chased down the midfielder, as the Liverpool Echo reported back in July that the Spanish manager was keen to sign him, however in the current window there has been no official bid or talks opened up for the Burnley player so far.

Benitez will be gutted

If Taylor is right about Burnley's stance on the player then we expect Benitez will be gutted, as he is a clearly a fan of the player after showing interest in the attacker back in the summer too.

The 22-year-old has clearly impressed the Toffees manager over the last few seasons, with the youngster scoring seven goals and bagging 17 assists in 126 appearances for the Lancashire club, making his debut in the Premier League when he was just 18 years old, back in 2018.

According to SofaScore, despite only offering one assist so far this season, the left-sided midfielder has been successful in completing the majority of his dribbles (64%), as well as winning the majority of both his ground and aerial duels (57%) in his 17 appearances so far for relegation battling Burnley.

As a result, it will be unfortunate for the Toffees manager that he cannot add a player so capable of performing consistently in the top-flight to his ranks this winter.

It is clear that Benitez is trying to add more youthful yet experienced players into his Everton side, with recent signings Nathan Patterson and Vitaliy Mykolenko perfectly matching that description, something that, again, McNeil could also offer to the squad.

Therefore, we expect this won't be the last time we hear that Everton are interested in securing the player, and they could find that a much easier challenge to do so if Burnley get relegated at the end of the campaign.

In other news: Benitez should axe Holgate amid interest from other clubs