Everton and Crystal Palace have finalised a swap deal that sends Dwight McNeil to Selhurst Park and brings Brennan Johnson to Goodison Park.

Everton have confirmed that Johnson, 25, has put pen to paper on a four-year contract at the club, while McNeil, 26, heads in the opposite direction to join Palace.

A deal that almost didn't happen

The move has a complicated backstory. McNeil came close to joining Crystal Palace back in February, when the two clubs agreed a loan-to-buy arrangement that would have become a permanent £20 million transfer this summer.

That deal collapsed at the final hurdle — not for footballing reasons, but because the required paperwork could not be completed before the transfer window deadline. McNeil had already passed his medical when the move fell apart.

The breakdown had personal consequences. McNeil's partner, Megan Sharpley, publicly accused Palace of toying with his mental health in a social media post that drew widespread attention at the time.

Johnson's brief spell at Palace

Johnson had only arrived at Selhurst Park in January, when Palace signed the Wales winger from Tottenham Hotspur in a £35 million deal. He is perhaps best known for scoring Tottenham Hotspur's winning goal in their Europa League final victory over Manchester United in May 2025.

Despite making 26 appearances for Palace across all competitions, Johnson failed to find the net during his time in south London — a run of form that appears to have prompted the club's decision to pursue this swap arrangement.