Dwight McNeil is among Everton's possible targets in the January transfer window, according to The Daily Mail. 

The lowdown

The Toffees kicked off their January business with the signing of Vitaliy Mykolenko from Dynamo Kiev at the weekend, and now they're closing in on a deal for another full-back in the form of Rangers' Nathan Patterson.

Further up the pitch, McNeil - a near ever-present for Burnley this season - is attracting also interest, and Everton fans will be under no illusions as to what he can do.

Last March, the winger netted a goal that Gary Lineker described as 'truly gorgeous' and 'stunning' in a 2-1 victory for Burnley at Goodison Park. In the wake of that wonder strike, talent scout Jacek Kulig described him as 'one of the best players out of the top six'.

McNeil is valued at £19.8m by Transfermarkt and has two-and-a-half years left on his contract at Turf Moor.

The latest

As part of The Daily Mail's club-by-club transfer window guide, they've listed the players that Everton 'like'. McNeil features on that list, along with the likes of Newcastle United's Sean Longstaff and Arsenal's Ainsley Maitland-Niles.

The outlet claimed that, after Mykolenko and Patterson, Benitez's priorities are apparently 'a midfielder plus a forward'.

The verdict

McNeil perhaps hasn't made the direct impact he would have wanted this season, with no goals and just one assist after 17 matches for the struggling Clarets.

However, it should be noted that his team-mates' finishing has let him down on occasion. He has notched 2.52 expected assists, created three big chances and averaged 1.4 key passes per game.

In a strange way, now might be the optimal time for Everton to invest. His transfer value has stagnated rather than climbed after a quiet first half of the campaign, but his talent is clear. He featured 10 times for England at under-21 level and has five or more assists in each of his full Premier League seasons to date, so there is enough evidence to suggest that he can thrive at a high level.

In other news, some Everton fans were left fuming over this transfer update