Manager Sean Dyche believes that Burnley is fighting a losing battle to keep their starlet winger. The transfer window talk is coming thick and fast with the Clarets becoming one of the hot topics ahead of January.

Manchester United are the front-runners for Dwight McNeil with Crystal Palace also rumoured to be interested if they lose Wilfried Zaha to Chelsea by the end of next month.

Dyche thinks that McNeil is highly likely to leave for a bigger club in the coming window with interest more sky-high than ever before.

Quoted from The Daily Mail: 'Look, we know Dwight is a player who will certainly go beyond us – but in a positive way, Dyche said.

'We don't remotely want to lose good players. But eventually, some players will outgrow the club in the sense of a bigger club coming along and buying them because of their skill set.

'If he remains grounded and keeps the hard work ethic he's got – and I'm sure he will do that - then his talent will continue to shine through. 

And we're not naive enough to think it's going to go unnoticed.'

The rumours are believed to have started with The Sun reporter Daniel Cutts back in November who claimed that the Red Devils had been keeping tabs on Dwight McNeil after releasing him from their academy five years ago. 

The article stated that "he was axed from United's academy at just 14 for not being up to standards and poor set-pieces."

McNeil has stood out for Burnley this season and the top 6 of the Premier League are where his ambitions will likely be. £35m was the figure placed on the 19-year-old winger.

Clarets Columnist Natalie Bromley for the Lancashire Telegraph also had her opinions on the McNeil rumours and explained how important McNeil is to Burnley in their final third.

Bromley said: "Sorry to be the party-pooper, but can we really see him still at Burnley next season?

He has a bright future in a ‘top-six’ side. He reminded us all what a key player he is for us and we simply look a weaker attacking threat without him.

He also brings out the best in the rest of the team and Ashley Barnes looks out of his depth a little when Wood isn’t alongside him."