Dwight McNeil and Brennan Johnson Swap Deal: Everton and Palace Trade Wingers

Everton and Crystal Palace have shaken hands on one of the more intriguing deals of the window: a straight swap that sends Dwight McNeil to Selhurst Park and brings Brennan Johnson to Merseyside.

No add-ons. No drawn-out auction. Two clubs, two wingers, and a solution that suits everyone’s problems – at least on paper.

McNeil finally gets his Palace move

Palace have been here before with McNeil. In January, the move was all but done before it collapsed on deadline day when the paperwork missed the cut-off. The winger stayed put, the moment passed, and it looked like one of those “what if” stories that follow a player for years.

Now, at 26 and with only a year left on his Everton contract, the door has opened again.

McNeil has had stretches where he looked essential at Everton, carrying the ball, working relentlessly off it, and offering a reliable outlet in tight games. But his influence has faded under David Moyes. From key man to expendable asset in the space of a season – the kind of shift that usually ends one way.

With the clock ticking on his deal, Everton simply could not afford to drift into next summer and lose him for nothing. This time, when Palace came calling, the answer was different. The clubs reached an agreement, and both have now granted permission for medicals to take place, starting today.

McNeil is expected to sign a four-year contract at Selhurst Park, with a club option for an extra 12 months. Palace finally get the wide player they wanted in January – only now on their terms and in a deal that solves another pressing issue.

Johnson’s reset at Everton

On the other side of the trade, Everton get a player they have tracked for years.

Brennan Johnson only joined Palace in January in a £35million move from Tottenham, but the fit never really clicked. The numbers tell the story bluntly: 26 appearances in all competitions last season, no goals. For a forward on big money, that kind of return becomes a heavy weight very quickly.

Yet his broader career suggests there is a player worth backing. Johnson scored 27 goals in 107 games for Tottenham, and before that showed his sharpness in front of goal at Nottingham Forest. In 2024/25 alone, he hit 18 goals in all competitions for Spurs – a reminder of the level he can reach when the system suits him and the confidence flows.

Everton are betting that Moyes can unlock that version of Johnson again.

The 25-year-old will also sign a four-year deal with an option for a further year, mirroring McNeil’s contract structure. If Everton match his Palace wages – a detail not yet confirmed – Johnson would instantly become one of the highest earners at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. That is a significant commitment for a club still carefully managing its finances, and it underlines how strongly they believe he can be a difference-maker.

Why the swap works for both clubs

For Everton, the logic is cold and clear. Keep McNeil and risk losing him for free next summer, or move him now and bring in a long-term attacking target. They chose the second path.

Johnson has been on their radar through several recruitment reshuffles. Interest that survives changes in sporting directors and managers usually points to a shared conviction inside a club. Everton see pace, direct running, and a goal threat that has gone missing at Palace but not disappeared from his game entirely.

For Palace, this is a financial and football decision rolled into one.

Johnson’s wage packet, believed to be around £130,000 per week, has been a heavy item on their books for a player struggling to affect games. Moving him on in a traditional sale would have meant finding a buyer willing to take on both the fee and the salary. The swap offers a cleaner route out.

They shed a high earner, bring in a player they almost signed six months ago, and add a hard-working wide option who fits the club’s usual profile. McNeil gives Palace energy and structure down the flank, and a fresh start away from a role that had grown uncertain at Everton.

Johnson, meanwhile, gets exactly what he needs: a reset.

He arrives at a club that has wanted him for a long time, under a manager with a track record of rebuilding careers that have stalled. If he can get anywhere near that 18-goal return he produced for Spurs in 2024/25, Everton will have landed a forward capable of tilting tight games in their favour.

The medicals will confirm the final details. The contracts will be signed. Then comes the real test: can McNeil thrive in the move that slipped away once before, and can Johnson turn a risky salary into match-winning value on Merseyside?