Everton and Crystal Palace are closing in on a swap deal that would see winger Dwight McNeil head to Selhurst Park while Wales international Brennan Johnson makes the move in the opposite direction. Both clubs are targeting a conclusion to the agreement before the end of this week.

A deal with a complicated history

The potential switch has a turbulent past. Earlier this year, Palace believed they had secured McNeil on a loan-to-buy arrangement worth £20 million permanently, only for the transfer to collapse at the final hurdle when the necessary paperwork could not be filed in time — despite the 26-year-old having already passed a medical examination.

The failed move prompted an emotional public response from McNeil's partner, Megan Sharpley, who took to Instagram to criticise how the situation had been handled.