Everton and Crystal Palace finalized a rare player-for-player swap deal around August 10 or 11, 2026, sending Brennan Johnson to Everton and Dwight McNeil to Crystal Palace [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Both players signed four-year contracts, with Johnson, 25, committing to Everton and McNeil, 26, to Crystal Palace until 2030 [1, 2, 3, 5].
Johnson joined Crystal Palace from Tottenham Hotspur in January 2026 for £35 million but failed to score in 26 appearances across all competitions this season [6, 1, 2, 4, 5]. He was part of Palace’s squad that won the Conference League but did not feature in the final [6, 7, 5]. Johnson previously scored the winning goal for Tottenham in their 2025 Europa League final victory over Manchester United [6, 1, 7, 5].
McNeil moved to Everton from Burnley in July 2022 for £20 million. He made 128 appearances and scored 15 goals before the swap deal [6, 2, 3]. McNeil nearly completed a loan-to-buy deal to Palace earlier this year valued at £20 million but the transfer collapsed due to paperwork problems after he passed a medical [6, 1, 4, 5]. His partner publicly criticized Crystal Palace over the failed move, citing mental health stress from the last-minute cancellation without explanation [6, 4]. Megan Sharpley said, "To have something promised to you...and to be toyed with until the final minute...has hurt more than I can say" [6].
Johnson expressed enthusiasm about joining Everton, praising the club's ambition and manager David Moyes. He said, "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" [1, 2, 5]. McNeil also voiced excitement, saying, "The lads have had some great success over the last two seasons. It’s something that I want to be a part of" [2, 3, 5].
Former players Lee Trundle and Nathan Blake commented on Johnson’s arrival at Everton. Trundle noted, "Moyes will get the best out of him...once he starts scoring, I think the fans will take to him" [7]. Blake added, "Everton fans are demanding...if he doesn't produce in the first 10 to 15 games, it catches up with you" [7].
The swap deal stands out as rare in Premier League circles, where pure player-for-player exchanges without additional fees seldom occur [8, 4]. Everton finished 13th in the 2025-26 Premier League season, two places above Crystal Palace, who qualified for the Europa League after winning the Conference League [6, 4, 5].
Everton and Crystal Palace will face each other at Hill Dickinson Stadium on August 22, the opening weekend of the Premier League season, marking the first meeting between the swapped players’ new teams [6, 2, 3, 4].
