Johnson and McNeil Swap: A New Chapter for Everton and Crystal Palace

Everton and Crystal Palace have traded wide men and, in the process, handed the new Premier League season one of its early storylines.

Dwight McNeil heads to Selhurst Park. Brennan Johnson walks into Finch Farm. Two careers, one swap, and a fixture already ringed in red: 22 August at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Johnson’s reset on Merseyside

Everton have tied Johnson to a four-year deal, a commitment that speaks loudly for a 25-year-old whose last 18 months have been a blur.

From Nottingham Forest to Tottenham Hotspur in a move worth more than £45m in 2023. A winning goal in a Europa League final last May. A £35m switch to Crystal Palace in January. Then 26 goalless appearances in all competitions in south London.

Now, a new start.

When Everton’s interest became concrete, Johnson said he “immediately wanted to come and be part” of the club. The pull was obvious: Sean Dyche, a core of seasoned Premier League players, and a sense that a drifting giant is trying to turn back towards Europe.

“There were a lot of reasons why I was so keen to join – the manager, the players, the direction the team is going in,” he explained. “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 last season, their campaign sagging late on. For a club of their size, that position felt more like survival than success. Johnson, capped 45 times by Wales, is under no illusions about the expectations.

He believes Everton will push to “do everything to get back into European competition” and talks about a club that “has the ambition to win trophies – and I believe we can do it.”

For a player whose pace and direct running once made him one of the most exciting young attackers in the league, this is a chance to prove that the Tottenham and Palace chapters were a detour, not a ceiling.

McNeil finally gets his Palace move

On the other side of the deal, McNeil arrives at Palace with unfinished business.

The 26-year-old was on the brink of joining the Eagles in February. A loan-to-buy agreement was in place, the medical passed, the £20m permanent clause lined up for the summer. Then the clock beat them. Paperwork issues killed the move in the final moments.

The fallout was raw. McNeil’s partner, Megan Sharpley, accused Palace on social media of toying with his mental health after the collapse. For a player, that kind of near-miss can linger.

Now the move is real. McNeil has signed a deal through to 2030 and walks into a club that, quietly, has built a winning habit.

He joined Everton from Burnley for £20m in July 2022 and leaves with 15 goals and 19 assists from 128 games in all competitions. Under Dyche, he became a dependable outlet: hard-working, left-footed delivery, a knack for big moments in tight games.

At Palace, he steps into a different environment – one where recent history offers something Everton have lacked.

A Palace with silverware – and room for more

Palace have claimed the FA Cup, Community Shield and Europa Conference League over the last two seasons. For a club long associated with mid-table stability and the odd cup run, that sequence has changed the conversation.

McNeil has been watching.

“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,” he said.

Chairman Steve Parish has called him “a player with proven ability in the Premier League,” and that’s exactly what Palace are banking on: a wide player who understands the league’s grind, can supply consistent service, and has the engine to fit into a high-intensity system.

For McNeil, there is also the personal element. The move that slipped away in February has finally landed. The questions around his future are over. Now it’s about whether he can add his name to a squad that has already lifted three trophies in two seasons.

An opening-day subplot already written

Swap deals at this level are rare. They usually signal two clubs convinced that a change of scenery can unlock something the other side couldn’t quite find.

Everton get a rapid, international winger desperate to reignite his Premier League scoring touch. Palace get a left-sided creator with a proven record and a point to prove.

The first verdict will not take long. On 22 August, opening weekend, Everton and Crystal Palace meet at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Johnson against his former club. McNeil against his. Two wide men, one shared history, and 90 minutes that will hint at who really won this gamble.