Everton eye move for £15m Championship captain and have already scouted him twice

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Everton have set their sights on a player from the Championship, as the club seek to make late additions in the January transfer window.

There’s newfound optimism at the club following the return of David Moyes as Sean Dyche’s replacement and on Sunday, the Scot got his first win against Tottenham Hotspur.

Everton were superb against Spurs, winning the game 3-2 at Goodison Park.

There have been improvements already, and fans would like to hope Moyes’ arrival will now be the catalyst for this team to push up the Premier League table.

But Moyes will need backing from The Friedkin Group.

It’s thought Everton could sign two new players by the deadline, and Moyes could get around £40 million to spend.

This evening, interest in a new target has been reported.

• READ MORE: Everton hold talks with agent of former Premier League star who made 79 appearances in England

Everton eyeing transfer for Sunderland midfielder Dan Neil

According to a report from The Telegraph, Everton have now shortlisted Sunderland captain Dan Neil.

The 23-year-old has impressed this season under Regis Le Bris, and has helped the Black Cats contend for automatic promotion.

Interestingly, Neil was actually in Sunderland’s academy when Moyes was manager at the Stadium of Light, so their paths may well have crossed before.

It is stated that Sunderland would be looking for about £15 million to sell Neil in this window, and that this would be a difficult deal to do. But the interest from the Toffees is there.

Apparently, Everton have sent scouts to watch Neil in Sunderland’s last two games against Derby County and Burnley.

What Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris has said about Dan Neil

Neil – who tends to operate as a holding midfielder – has certainly been catching the eye for Sunderland in recent times, and with 28 appearances under his belt already this season, it’s clear he’s an important player for manager Regis Le Bris.

The Black Cats boss is certainly a fan. He said on Neil earlier this month (via Northern Echo): “He’s very clever, very important to adjust the formation and balance the team.

“At the end, the individual output is maybe not as huge as expected but is very important for the team. Now that job is done he can add more things like more forward passes, tackling, counter-pressing, and you can see how strong he is as an individual player. But at the same time, the role he has for the balance of the team is very important.”

Le Bris also hailed Neil at the start of the season after Sunderland’s win over Oxford United, saying (via Sunderland Echo): “He’s very clever, very stable and he drove with the ball at times for us as well. He is improving his way of playing with the team, so I’m very happy.”