Crystal Palace and Everton agree straight swap: Brennan Johnson for Dwight McNeil
Crystal Palace and Everton have agreed a straight swap deal that sends Brennan Johnson to Goodison Park and brings Dwight McNeil to Selhurst Park, with both players set for medicals on Monday (The Guardian).
Each player has agreed a four-year contract with the option of a further 12 months. The deal is a pure exchange — no cash changes hands between the two clubs.
For Johnson, it is a swift exit from south London. Crystal Palace made him their record signing in January when they brought him in from Tottenham for £35m on a four-and-a-half-year deal reportedly worth more than £100,000 a week. That record lasted only weeks; Jørgen Strand Larsen arrived from Wolves for an initial £43m and pushed Johnson down the list. What really sealed his departure, though, was his output: 18 Premier League appearances without a goal since the move. For a winger — a position built on creating and scoring — that is a return that buys no patience.
McNeil's situation at Everton was simpler. The 26-year-old had entered the final year of his contract, meaning Everton risked losing him for nothing next summer unless they acted now. A swap gives them a fresh asset in Johnson while moving on a player who could have walked for free.
This is not the first time Palace have tried to sign McNeil. In February, the two clubs agreed a £20m fee on transfer deadline day, but the move collapsed when Jean-Philippe Mateta's £30m transfer to Milan fell through after a medical. The fallout was messy. McNeil's partner, Megan Sharpley, posted an emotional message on Instagram accusing Crystal Palace of messing with the winger's mental health. Six months on, McNeil is now heading to Selhurst Park anyway — this time as part of a swap rather than a cash purchase.
Palace are also close to adding another forward. Anan Khalaili, the Israeli striker who impressed at Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium, had his medical on Sunday and is expected to sign a five-year contract for £21m. Khalaili's path to Palace opened when a move to Internazionale broke down last month after he failed a medical in Italy. Palace have moved quickly to offer him a second route into English football.
The transfer trail behind this swap deal was well-trodden before confirmation arrived. Sky Sports, talkSPORT, the BBC, The Times, The Athletic and the Metro all tracked the negotiations over 9 and 10 August, with reports ranging from tentative talks to advanced discussions (BBC; Sky Sports). The Metro had suggested a straight swap looked unlikely and that Everton might pay extra for Johnson. In the end, both clubs kept it simple.
Two players, two new homes, and a clean exchange. The Premier League calendar has not even started and the summer's most curious deal is already done.
