In an unusual turn of events during the summer transfer window, Brennan Johnson and Dwight McNeil have completed a swap deal between Crystal Palace and Everton. The move sees Wales international Johnson depart Selhurst Park just seven months after his arrival for a club-record fee of £35 million. Despite his recent success in European competitions—including scoring the goal that secured the 2025 Europa League trophy for Tottenham—Johnson struggled to find the back of the net during his 26 appearances for Palace.
Upon joining Everton, Johnson expressed his enthusiasm for the move to Hill Dickinson Stadium. He stated that the club’s direction, the players, and the manager were all key factors in his decision. He noted that the manager, David Moyes, believes in his abilities and aims to help him return to his previous form. Johnson emphasized his desire to contribute his trademark speed and goal-scoring threat to the team, becoming the second winger signed by Moyes this summer alongside Tyrique George.
Moving in the opposite direction, Dwight McNeil has finalized his transfer to Crystal Palace. This switch comes six months after a potential £20 million move to the London club collapsed at the conclusion of the January transfer window. McNeil, who was originally brought to Everton four years ago by Frank Lampard, made 128 appearances and scored 15 goals for the Merseyside club. Having entered the final year of his contract, he was briefly reintegrated into the Everton squad by Moyes, making eight further appearances before the swap was finalized.
The transition follows a period of frustration for the player. After the initial deal failed in January, McNeil’s girlfriend, Megan Sharpley, publicly criticized Crystal Palace on Instagram. She described the experience as an "emotional rollercoaster" and expressed deep concern over the impact such uncertainty had on the player's mental health. Now, under the management of Pierre Sage, McNeil becomes the third signing for Crystal Palace, joining previous arrivals Oscar Mingueza and Takehiro Tomiyasu.
As the window closes, analysts are busy predicting which clubs the summer's biggest free agents will sign for. Tottenham: Why James Maddison was not awarded a penalty against Leeds as Premier League issue statement. Spurs midfielder denied a big moment on his return from injury. The Premier League has explained why Tottenham were not awarded a penalty in their draw against Leeds.
"There were a lot of reasons why I was so keen to join – the manager, the players, the direction the team is going in. You can see this is a club that wants to go in the right direction, and I'm a player who wants to go in that direction so it feels like a really good match.
"I want to come in and show what I can do. The manager spoke to me about getting back to the form that I've shown previously, and that's a massive thing for me – the fact he knows and believes in what I can do. For me, listening to him – a manager who is so experienced and someone who has been so successful – it was really nice to hear.
