Everton and Crystal Palace have confirmed a rare swap deal, with Brennan Johnson moving to Everton on a four-year contract and Dwight McNeil heading the other way. The Palace part is especially notable because McNeil's move there had already collapsed in February, when the required paperwork for a loan-to-buy deal could not be completed in time.

Johnson arrives after a short and underwhelming spell at Palace. He joined the club in January for £35m, made 26 appearances in all competitions and did not score.

Speaking to independent.co.uk, Johnson said: "It's a massive club and one that when I first heard of the interest, I immediately wanted to come and be part of it."

The deal and the February background

This is the kind of move clubs do not complete often, two wide players effectively trading places late in the window. For Palace, it also revisits unfinished business. McNeil had been set for Selhurst Park in February on a loan-to-buy deal that would have become a £20m permanent transfer this summer, but the move fell apart because the paperwork was not finished in time.

That failed switch clearly carried some weight around the player. Megan Sharpley, McNeil's partner, told independent.co.uk: "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? To have something promised to you, to have been dragged along on an emotional rollercoaster and to be toyed with until the final minute. For that to be torn away from you at the last second with absolutely no explanation has hurt more than I can say."

So Palace coming back for him now is not just another squad move. It closes off a transfer that had already gone most of the way once before.

What each club is getting

Everton are taking a bet on Johnson finding his level quickly. The recent output at Palace was modest, and his average across his last five appearances was 6.5, rounded from 6.46, which fits the broader picture of a player who never really settled there. Even so, there is obvious upside in a winger who was still signed for £35m in January and who scored Tottenham Hotspur's winning goal in the Europa League final victory over Manchester United in May 2025.

Johnson also made it clear that the sales pitch from Everton landed. He told independent.co.uk: "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."

Palace, meanwhile, are getting a player with a much longer record behind him. McNeil leaves Everton after 128 appearances and 15 goals. In a straight football sense, that makes Palace's side of the swap easier to read right now: they know they are bringing in a winger who has done the job over time, not one coming off 26 scoreless appearances.

There is some noise around Johnson's January move because coverage has not been consistent, but the reported detail attached to this deal is that he joined Palace in January for £35m. What is not in dispute now is where both players have landed. Johnson is an Everton player on a four-year deal, and McNeil has his Palace move at last.

FAQ

Why have Everton and Crystal Palace swapped Brennan Johnson and Dwight McNeil?

Everton and Crystal Palace have completed a rare winger swap, with Brennan Johnson joining Everton on a four-year deal and Dwight McNeil moving to Palace. For Palace, it also completes a move for McNeil that had already collapsed in February when the required paperwork for a loan-to-buy deal could not be finished in time.

Did Dwight McNeil almost join Crystal Palace before this transfer?

Yes. McNeil's move to Crystal Palace collapsed in February. It was set up as a loan-to-buy agreement that would have become a £20m permanent transfer this summer, but the required paperwork could not be completed in time.

How long is Brennan Johnson's contract at Everton?

Johnson has signed a four-year contract at Everton. He said Everton's size and the club's direction made the move appealing, and the deal is now confirmed as part of the swap with Crystal Palace involving Dwight McNeil.

How did Brennan Johnson and Dwight McNeil perform before the swap?

Johnson made 26 appearances for Crystal Palace in all competitions and did not score after joining the club in January for £35m. McNeil leaves Everton after 128 appearances and 15 goals, so Palace are getting a player with a much longer body of work at his previous club.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →