Everton and Crystal Palace agree swap deal for McNeil and Johnson

Everton and Crystal Palace have reached an agreement to swap wingers, with Dwight McNeil moving to Palace and Wales international Brennan Johnson heading to Everton. According to BBC Sport, both players are scheduled to undergo medicals on Monday. If successful, they will sign initial four-year deals with their respective new clubs. McNeil, 26, came close to a move to Selhurst Park in early February. At that time, Palace had agreed to a loan deal with an option to buy for £20 million, but the transfer collapsed after paperwork was not completed in time, despite McNeil having already passed his medical. McNeil's partner, Megan Sharpley, subsequently criticised the handling of the move on Instagram, stating that promising a player a transfer and putting them on an 'emotional rollercoaster' before cancelling at the last minute without explanation was damaging to mental health. The deal has now been revived with the inclusion of Johnson. Johnson, 25, who has 45 caps for Wales, scored the winning goal for Tottenham in their 1-0 victory over Manchester United in the Europa League final in May 2025. He joined Palace from Tottenham in January for £35 million and helped the club reach the Europa Conference League final. He was an unused substitute in the final, where Palace secured their first European trophy with a 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano. The forward failed to score in 26 appearances for Palace across all competitions, including 13 Premier League starts. McNeil joined Everton from Burnley for £20 million in July 2022, scoring 15 goals in 128 appearances. Everton finished 13th in the Premier League last season, with Palace two places below in 14th. However, Palace will compete in the Europa League next season following their 2026-27 Europa Conference League title. The two sides are scheduled to meet at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday, 22 August, for the opening weekend of the new Premier League season.