Everton and Crystal Palace have pulled off one of the summer window's most eyebrow-raising deals — a straight swap between winger Dwight McNeil and Wales international Brennan Johnson. Both clubs confirmed the moves on Tuesday, with each player signing a contract through to 2030 at their new respective clubs.
McNeil, 26, ends a four-year stay at Goodison Park where he established himself as one of the Premier League's most consistent wide players. Since arriving from Burnley for £20 million in July 2022, he has contributed 15 goals and 19 assists across 128 appearances in all competitions. That kind of output made him one of Everton's most important players, and Palace have moved decisively to secure him.
The move carries a degree of bitter irony for McNeil. In February of this year, Crystal Palace had a loan-to-buy agreement in place that would have triggered a permanent £20m move this summer. McNeil passed his medical, but the transfer collapsed at the last moment due to incomplete paperwork. The fallout was public — McNeil's partner took to social media to accuse Palace of damaging his mental health through the uncertainty. Despite that, the Eagles have come back in and got their man through a different route.
Moving to Goodison in the other direction is Brennan Johnson, the Wales winger who has been one of the most travelled attackers in British football over the past few years. The 25-year-old rose to prominence at Nottingham Forest before joining Tottenham Hotspur for more than £45 million in 2023. He made history with Spurs by scoring the winning goal in the Europa League final last May, cementing his place as a big-game performer.
Johnson moved to Palace in January 2026 for £35 million, but struggled to find his best form at Selhurst Park — failing to score in 26 appearances across all competitions. A fresh start at Everton is now on the table, and the Welsh international said he "immediately wanted to come and be part" of the club upon hearing of their interest.
"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 told Everton TV. "You can see this is a club that wants to go in the right direction, and I'm a player who wants to go in that direction too, so it feels like a really good match."
Everton finished 13th in the Premier League last season, but Johnson believes European football is within reach. Palace, meanwhile, will be hoping McNeil can add consistency to a squad that has won the FA Cup, Community Shield and Europa Conference League in the last two seasons. The two clubs are set to face each other on the opening weekend of the Premier League season on 22 August.
Swap Deal Summary
- McNeil: Everton → Crystal Palace | Age: 26 | Contract: 2030
- Johnson: Crystal Palace → Everton | Age: 25 | Nationality: Welsh | Contract: 2030
- Deal type: Straight swap
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