Everton and Crystal Palace in talks over swap involving Dwight McNeil and Brennan Johnson

Everton winger Dwight McNeil and Crystal Palace forward Brennan Johnson are in talks over a straight swap between the two clubs that both sides hope to conclude this week. Both players have appeared in pre-season matches for their current clubs.

McNeil, 26, almost moved to Selhurst Park at the start of February when Palace agreed a loan-to-buy arrangement that would have become a £20m permanent transfer this summer, but the move collapsed because the necessary paperwork could not be completed in time despite McNeil having passed a medical. In a social media post, his partner Megan Sharpley had been critical of Palace, writing on Instagram: "We live in a world where everyone is aware of how big a problem mental health is. "So, in football, why do we find it acceptable because these young men are on a lot of money and that's OK to mess and toy with their mental health and that it's just part of the job? "To have something promised to you, to have been dragged along on an emotional rollercoaster and to be toyed with until the final minute. For that to be torn away from you at the last second with absolutely no explanation has hurt more than I can say." McNeil joined Everton from Burnley for £20m in July 2022 and has scored 15 times in 128 games for the club.

The revived proposal now includes 25-year-old Brennan Johnson moving in the opposite direction, from Palace to Everton, with McNeil heading to Selhurst Park. Johnson has been capped 45 times by Wales and scored the decisive goal for Tottenham in their 1-0 victory over Manchester United in the Europa League final in May 2025.

Johnson completed a £35m move to Palace in January and was part of the squad that reached the Conference League final; he was an unused substitute as Palace beat Rayo Vallecano 1-0 to claim the club's first European trophy. Across his time at Palace he has made 26 appearances in all competitions without scoring, including 13 starts in the Premier League.

Everton finished 13th in the Premier League last season with Palace two places below them, and Palace will compete in the Europa League in 2026-27 following their Conference League success. Both clubs are aiming to finalise the swap this week as they prepare for the new campaign.

The two sides meet at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday, 22 August in the opening weekend of the Premier League campaign.