Crystal Palace co-owner and chairman Steve Parish personally contacted Dwight McNeil's partner ahead of the winger's move to Selhurst Park this week, a step taken to ease tensions following a collapsed transfer earlier this year.
McNeil, 26, has now completed his switch to Palace on a four-year contract as part of a swap arrangement that saw Brennan Johnson depart in the opposite direction to Everton.
The move brings to a close a saga that began in January, when Palace had agreed a loan-to-buy arrangement for McNeil that was expected to become a permanent £20m transfer. That deal collapsed at the eleventh hour, despite the player having already passed a medical, after the necessary paperwork could not be finalized in time.
The failed move prompted a strong reaction from McNeil's partner, Megan Sharpley, who took to Instagram to criticize the way the situation had been handled. She questioned why footballers' mental wellbeing is often dismissed simply because of their profession and salary, writing: "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?" She added that having a deal fall through at the last moment, without explanation, after being led through an emotional ordeal, had been deeply painful.
According to BBC Sport, Parish took it upon himself to reach out and address the fallout before this week's transfer was finally completed, in an apparent effort to reassure the family and restore confidence in the club's intentions.
McNeil arrived at Everton from Burnley for £20m in the summer of 2022 and went on to register 15 goals in 128 appearances for the Toffees. He now moves to a Palace side that has enjoyed a highly successful recent period, lifting the FA Cup, the Community Shield, and the UEFA Conference League over the last two seasons.
Speaking after putting pen to paper on his new deal, McNeil expressed enthusiasm about joining a club with such recent pedigree. "The lads have had some great success over the last two seasons. It's something that I want to be a part of, so I'm really looking forward to getting started," he said.
Parish also offered his assessment of the new signing, describing McNeil as