Everton and Crystal Palace have reached an agreement to exchange attacking players in a swap deal. Dwight McNeil, the 26-year-old Everton winger, will move to Crystal Palace, while 25-year-old Brennan Johnson, a Welsh international, will join the Toffees. Both players are scheduled to complete medical examinations on Monday and are expected to sign four-year contracts with their respective new clubs.
McNeil had previously been close to joining Palace at the beginning of February when the clubs agreed on a loan-to-buy arrangement that would have resulted in a permanent £20 million transfer later in the year. That deal ultimately collapsed due to paperwork not being finalized in time, despite McNeil having already passed his medical. The situation prompted criticism on social media from McNeil’s partner regarding the emotional impact of the failed transfer.
Johnson arrives at Everton following a mixed spell at Palace. The 25-year-old, who has earned 45 caps for Wales, scored a crucial goal for Tottenham in their 1-0 Europa League final victory over Manchester United in May 2025 before moving to Palace for £35 million in January. During his time with Palace, Johnson appeared 26 times across all competitions but failed to register a goal, including 13 Premier League starts. He was notably unused as a substitute in Palace’s 1-0 Conference League final victory over Rayo Vallecano, which secured the club’s first European trophy.
McNeil joined Everton from Burnley for £20 million in July 2022 and has recorded 15 goals across 128 appearances in all competitions. Everton finished 13th in the Premier League last season, while Palace placed 15th but will compete in the Europa League during 2026-27 following their Conference League triumph. The clubs will face each other on the opening weekend of the Premier League campaign on Saturday, 22 August.
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