Crystal Palace co-owner and chairman Steve Parish contacted Dwight McNeil's partner before McNeil completed a move to the club, signing a four-year contract in a swap deal that saw Brennan Johnson move to Everton, according to BBC Sport.
Crystal Palace chairman contacted Dwight McNeil's partner ahead of completed transfer
Crystal Palace co-owner and chairman Steve Parish contacted Dwight McNeil's partner before McNeil completed a move to the club, signing a four-year contract in a swap deal that saw Brennan Johnson move to Everton, according to BBC Sport.
McNeil, 26, had previously come close to joining Palace during the January transfer window, when the club agreed a loan-to-buy arrangement that would have become a £20 million permanent transfer. The deal did not proceed after the required paperwork could not be completed in time, despite McNeil having already passed a medical.
Following the collapse of that deal, McNeil's partner Megan Sharpley posted criticism of Palace on Instagram, stating that the situation had involved an emotional toll and that something promised had been taken away at the last moment without explanation. She referenced concerns about the treatment of players' mental health in football.
BBC Sport reports that Parish subsequently contacted Sharpley to address the situation before this week's transfer was finalised.
McNeil originally joined Everton from Burnley for £20 million in July 2022 and scored 15 goals in 128 appearances for the club.
Johnson had joined Palace from Tottenham Hotspur in January for £35 million but did not score in 26 appearances across all competitions. The Wales winger had previously moved to Tottenham from Nottingham Forest for a fee in excess of £45 million in 2023 and scored the winning goal in the Europa League final in May of the following year.
Palace have won the FA Cup, Community Shield, and UEFA Conference League across the last two seasons. McNeil said he was looking forward to being part of a squad that had experienced that success. Parish described McNeil as a player with proven ability in the Premier League.
- The source does not establish the content or outcome of Parish's communication with Megan Sharpley beyond that he 'reached out to smooth things over'.
- The source does not establish McNeil's wage or contract terms beyond its four-year duration.
- The source does not establish why the paperwork could not be completed in time during the January window.
- The source does not establish the precise financial structure of the swap deal between Palace and Everton.
- The source does not establish Everton's or McNeil's own response to the January collapse beyond Sharpley's Instagram post.
- The source does not establish Johnson's contractual terms at Everton.