Dyche eyes Dwight McNeil reunion as Forest plot January shake-up

Sean Dyche isn’t hanging about at the City Ground. The Nottingham Forest boss is lining up a familiar face for his first window, with Dwight McNeil firmly on the radar for January, as first reported by John Percy. It’s classic Dyche: pace, graft and quality from wide areas to sharpen Forest’s edges straight away.

Why McNeil makes sense for Dyche’s Forest

McNeil’s minutes have dried up at Everton this season — just one Premier League start under David Moyes in 2025/26, that narrow 1-0 defeat to Arsenal, plus seven cameos off the bench. Dyche, of course, knows the winger inside out from Burnley and Everton. In 2022/23, McNeil was Everton’s top league scorer with seven, and he still produced in 2024/25 with four goals and eight assists despite more than four months out injured. He ticks every Dyche box: tireless without the ball, tidy in possession and a proper threat with his delivery.

Contracted through 2026/27, he won’t be a giveaway, but the chemistry is clear. Even Alan Shearer called him “wonderful” after that decisive moment against Leeds back in 2023 — and Dyche has always trusted him to deliver in big-game moments.

Everton’s stance: not in a hurry

Here’s the snag for Forest: Everton are unlikely to wave McNeil off early in the window. With Iliman Ndiaye away at AFCON and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall sidelined, the Toffees are short on attackers. Any deal feels more late-window than early doors, and whether it’s a permanent or a loan is one for the negotiators. The interest is real; the timing, less straightforward.

Left-back also on the shopping list

Forest aren’t stopping at the flanks up top. A left-back is a priority in January, with the club exploring options to add competition for Neco Williams and Arsenal loanee Oleksandr Zinchenko. The Ukrainian has only three league starts since arriving in the summer and, while there’s no recall clause, he’s been used sparingly — just one matchday squad appearance since the start of November. Fresh legs down that side would bring balance and a bit more bite.

United eye Elliot Anderson — but at a price

Manchester United continue to admire Elliot Anderson, though prising him from the City Ground mid-season won’t be cheap. Forest are expected to point to a price tag around the £100m mark, and with the midfielder tied down until 2029, there’s no pressure to sell. In short: one for the heavy hitters — or the summer.

Pundit’s verdict

McNeil to Forest feels like good, common-sense recruitment. Dyche wants reliability, work-rate and end product; McNeil provides the lot, with the added bonus of a manager who already knows how to get a tune out of him. The biggest obstacle? Everton’s availability issues. If the Toffees soften late in the window, expect Forest to pounce.

If you’re keeping an eye on the January odds and market movers, our guide to the best betting sites is a handy place to start.