Everton head into the final matchday of the 2022/23 Premier League campaign knowing that a win against Bournemouth will be enough to achieve safety.
The Toffees are in 17th place and two points clear of the relegation zone as they host the Cherries at Goodison Park on Sunday and this means that they can avoid the drop by either doing their job or by Leicester and Leeds failing to win their matches against West Ham and Tottenham respectively.
It has been a disappointing season for the club, even if they remain in the division, as they have flirted with the bottom three throughout the year, yet there have been some bright sparks – one of which has been the signing of Dwight McNeil.
The forward arrived from Burnley last summer and has been one of the team's standout performers. He is the club's top goalscorer – with seven strikes – and has three more than any other Everton player in the Premier League.
Sean Dyche could now use the upcoming summer transfer window, assuming Sunday goes smoothly, to find McNeil a dream striker to work with at the top end of the pitch.
The head coach could unearth that player by swooping to sign reported transfer target Chuba Akpom from Middlesbrough in the coming months.
How has Chuba Akpom performed this season?
In the Championship, the 27-year-old caught the eye with his impressive goalscoring exploits as an attacking midfielder and as a striker for Michael Carrick's side.
He plundered a staggering 28 goals and two assists in 35 starts, which included nine goals in 14 appearances as a number nine, in the division and averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.14.
Middlesbrough reportedly want a fee in the region of £15m for the attacker, whose season was described as "remarkable" by journalist Oluwashina Okeleji, and Everton could take a gamble on him being able to translate his form in the second tier over to the Premier League.
The ex-Arsenal man scored those 28 goals from 21.9 xG and this illustrates the Englishman's exceptional finishing quality as he was able to outperform the quality of chances he was being provided with.
This could make him a dream partner for McNeil at Everton as the former Clarets star has been let down by his teammates in the Premier League this season.
The 23-year-old, who has scored seven goals in the top flight, has created 5.9 xAG (Expected Assisted Goals) and been rewarded with three assists, which means that his fellow attackers have not been able to make the most of the opportunities he has put on a plate for them.
Akpom could, therefore, be a welcome addition to the squad for McNeil as the winger would finally have a player with the finishing ability to convert the chances being created by the winger's crossing and passing in the final third.
Instead of the current Everton attackers consistently missing their shots after receiving the ball from the young forward, the Middlesbrough star could punish opposition teams and thrive off the service that could be provided to him.
