Brennan Johnson says his move to Everton is about belief as much as location. In his first comments as an Everton player, the winger pointed to David Moyes, the squad and the club’s direction as the reasons he wanted the deal, after a frustrating seven-month spell at Crystal Palace ended without a goal. He has joined on a four-year contract.
Moyes, the squad and the reset
Johnson did not dress the move up as a simple swap. He said: "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, too, so it feels like a really good match."
He was even more direct about what Moyes told him. "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."
That is a sensible pitch from Everton’s side. Johnson arrives with some uneven recent numbers, but not with nothing. Across his last five Premier League appearances he averaged a 6.46 rating and played 313 minutes in those five outings, which is enough to suggest a player who was involved, just not fully settled.
The cleanest part of the move is the fit. Johnson’s Palace spell lasted seven months and ended without a goal, and he did not get off the bench as Crystal Palace beat Rayo Vallecano in the Conference League final. That is not a full verdict on his level, but it does explain why a reset felt attractive.
Everton have reasons to want the same thing. They scored 47 league goals in 2025 and finished 13th, a mid-table return that leaves room for more threat in wide areas and between the lines. Dwight McNeil has been the most obvious reference point in the squad, but the attack still needs another reliable contributor.
The context around the club is not exactly tranquil either. Everton are coming off a run that includes losses to Sunderland and West Ham, plus draws with Crystal Palace and Manchester City in their last five league games. Johnson is walking into demand, not comfort.
For now, though, the story is the one he told himself on day one. He has left Palace behind, signed a four-year deal, and started by saying Everton, Moyes and the squad pointed him in the same direction.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
