Everton and Crystal Palace finalise Johnson-McNeil straight swap

Everton and Crystal Palace completed a rare straight swap on Tuesday in the Premier League, with Everton signing Brennan Johnson and Palace acquiring Dwight McNeil, the clubs said.

Johnson, 25, has signed a four-year contract with Everton, while McNeil, 26, has agreed a deal with Palace until 2030.

Johnson joined Palace in January from Tottenham Hotspur and made 26 appearances in all competitions.

McNeil scored 15 goals and provided 19 assists in 128 appearances for Everton following his move from Burnley in 2022.

"There were a lot of reasons why I was so keen to join - the manager, the players, the direction the team is going in," Johnson said in a statement on Everton's website.

"The lads have had some great success over the last two seasons. It's something that I want to be a part of, so I'm really looking forward to getting started," McNeil said.

Reporting by Karan Prashant Saxena in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond.

Everton and Palace will meet at Hill Dickinson Stadium on August 22 on the opening weekend of the Premier League season.

The fixture falls on the opening weekend of the Premier League season.