Crystal Palace and Everton Swap Deal for Johnson and McNeil

Crystal Palace and Everton have agreed a straight swap that sends Brennan Johnson to Goodison Park and Dwight McNeil to Selhurst Park, a deal loaded with both footballing intrigue and emotional baggage.

Six months ago, McNeil’s proposed move to Palace collapsed in messy fashion. Now he is finally heading to south London, while Johnson’s brief and bruising spell as Palace’s record signing comes to an abrupt end.

McNeil Finally Gets His Palace Move – At the Second Attempt

McNeil, in the final year of his Everton contract, looked destined for Palace on deadline day in February. A £20m fee was agreed, the winger was preparing for a new chapter, and the paperwork was moving. Then everything fell apart.

Jean-Philippe Mateta’s £30m transfer to Milan collapsed after the France striker failed a medical. With that, Palace’s financial calculations changed. The club tried to reshape McNeil’s move into an initial loan with an obligation to buy at the end of the season. A deal sheet went into the Premier League. Then Palace walked away.

The silence hit hard. McNeil’s partner, Megan Sharpley, posted an emotional message on Instagram at the time, accusing Palace of “radio silence” and describing the impact on his mental health.

“Tonight, and the last 48 hours, have broken my heart to see how the football world you love so much can be so cruel to you,” she wrote, questioning how clubs could “mess and toy” with players’ mental health simply because they earn substantial wages.

That episode left a bitter taste. Now, with a straight swap agreed and a four-year contract on the table plus an option for a further 12 months, McNeil is finally set to become a Palace player. He is expected to undergo a medical on Monday.

Johnson’s Short, Costly Palace Spell Ends

For Johnson, the move draws a line under a difficult eight months in south London.

Signed from Tottenham in January for £35m, he arrived as Palace’s record signing. That status lasted only weeks before Jørgen Strand Larsen arrived from Wolves for an initial £43m, but the expectation around Johnson remained heavy.

He never came close to justifying the outlay. No goals in 18 Premier League appearances, limited impact, and a player who never quite looked at ease in Palace’s system. The club had handed him a four-and-a-half-year deal believed to be worth more than £100,000 a week. Now they accept a significant financial hit on the fee to clear one of their top earners from the wage bill.

Everton, wrestling with their own financial constraints, pick up a 23-year-old forward who has lost his way but still carries obvious talent and resale value. Like McNeil, Johnson is understood to have agreed a four-year contract with an option for an extra year and will also have his medical on Monday.

Two careers, both in need of a reset, are being rerouted in opposite directions.

Palace Keep Reshaping the Squad

The swap does not stand alone. Palace are pushing through another sizeable deal as they continue to reshape Oliver Glasner’s squad.

The club are set to finalise the signing of Anan Khalaili from Union Saint-Gilloise for £21m. The Israel right-back completed his medical on Sunday and is expected to sign a five-year contract.

Khalaili’s move to Internazionale fell apart last month after he failed a medical in Italy. Palace, satisfied with their own checks, are ready to take that gamble. At 21, he fits the club’s familiar model: young, energetic, with room to grow and potential resale value.

So Palace move on. Johnson out, McNeil in, Khalaili to follow. The numbers are heavy, the emotions even heavier. The question now is simple: will this bold reshuffle finally give them the edge they have been paying for?