The English prodigy is the latest one to get linked with Cityzens.
Image source: transfermarkt.com
According to a report from The Sun, Manchester City are reportedly considering a shock transfer move for Burnley winger Dwight McNeil as Pep Guardiola is gearing up for a life without Leroy Sane. The German ace is on his way out of Ethiad after reportedly having agreed terms with his long-time suitors Bayern over a summer transfer. Bavarians have reportedly agreed a fee around £54m with City for the transfer of Sane after a year-long of sustained talks. Even Guardiola lamented about the imminent departure of the former Schalke man, stating that he wanted Sane to succeed at City.
It is now the Cityzens’ turn to bolster the attacking options to consolidate the absence of Sane, and they look to have identified Burnley’s McNeil as one of the candidates. Leon Bailey, Ferran Torres and Jack Grealish are some of the names on City’s radar, but McNeil could be the cheapest of them all.
McNeil – one of the promising homegrown talents
McNeil is undoubtedly one of the promising talents in England following his success in a short period. After excelling through the youth ranks of the Clarets, McNeil got his nod into the main team, and his impact was spontaneous. While many would have thought that it is a big leap for a player of his age in the Premier League, he instead went on to be successful for the Clarets, racking up 3 goals and 5 assists in 21 appearances. While the current season didn’t turn out as well as he would have expected, he was able to amass 2 goals and 6 assists alongside 3 man of the match awards.
Will McNeil be a valuable addition to City?
Sane’s departure mainly happened to the lack of game time under Guardiola, whose handpicked option was Raheem Sterling. However, Sterling has been somewhat below his standards this season as he lacked the incision and flair in the final third. McNeil can be an ideal signing for the Sky Blues and also for the future. Having been regularly deployed on the left-flanks, the 20-year-old would also tend to drop deep to help in the buildup play using his dribbling skills and crossfield passes and long balls. McNeil is the typical 1vs1 winger – whom Guardiola always demands in his system – and also highly known for his creativity.
As said above, McNeil can be bought for a measlier amount than compared to all other prolific players in the transfer market. Hence Cityzens’ interest in the Clarets youngster makes sense.
City will be heading to the next season with the hopes of claiming the Premier League once again after what it looked like an uninspiring campaign this term. However, they will look to finish as high as second in the table.
