Crystal Palace and Everton have finalised a straight player swap involving winger Brennan Johnson and Dwight McNeil, closing the book on a saga that began with a collapsed move for McNeil earlier this year. Both players are understood to have agreed to four-year contracts at their new clubs, with an option for a further year, and medicals for the pair are scheduled for Monday.
The transfer marks a swift reversal of fortunes for Johnson, who arrived at Selhurst Park in January from Tottenham Hotspur for £35m, briefly making him Palace's record signing before being overtaken by the £43m arrival of Jørgen Strand Larsen from Wolves shortly afterward. Johnson struggled to make an impact in south London, failing to register a single goal across 18 Premier League appearances for the Eagles. Given that he had signed a four-and-a-half-year deal reportedly worth more than £100,000 per week, Palace are set to absorb a considerable financial loss on the fee paid for him, though offloading one of the club's top earners will ease pressure on the wage bill.
McNeil's move to Palace comes after a turbulent few months that put a spotlight on the emotional toll transfer negotiations can take on players and their families. Back in February, on deadline day, Palace had agreed a £20m fee with Everton for the winger, who is now in the final year of his contract at Goodison Park. However, the deal was thrown into disarray after Jean-Philippe Mateta's proposed £30m transfer to AC Milan collapsed when the French striker failed his medical. In response, Palace altered their proposal for McNeil to an initial loan with an obligation to buy at season's end, submitting a deal sheet to the Premier League before ultimately withdrawing from the negotiations entirely.
The abrupt collapse of the move sparked an emotional reaction from McNeil's partner, Megan Sharpley, who took to Instagram to criticize how the situation had been handled. She described the ordeal as damaging to the player's mental health, writing: "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. We live in a world where everyone is aware of how big a problem mental health is. So, in football, why do we find it acceptable because these young men are on a lot of money and that's OK to mess and toy with their mental health and that it's just part of the job?"
Six months on, the two clubs have revisited the transfer and structured it as a direct swap rather than a cash deal, allowing both Johnson and McNeil to move on in search of fresh starts at their new clubs.
Meanwhile, Palace continue to be active in the transfer market beyond this swap. The club is in the process of completing a separate £21m signing of Israeli right-back Anan Khalaili from Union Saint-Gilloise. Khalaili underwent his medical on Sunday and is expected to put pen to paper on a five-year contract at Selhurst Park. The 21-year-old defender had previously been on the verge of joining Internazionale, but that transfer fell through last month after he did not pass a medical examination there.
With both incoming and outgoing deals taking shape, Crystal Palace appear to be undergoing notable squad changes as they continue to reshape their roster following a mixed run of results this season. Everton, for their part, gain a forward option in Johnson while moving on McNeil, who had entered the final year of his existing deal at Goodison Park.
Based on reporting from Guardian Football.