Everton's Dwight McNeil could be heading to Crystal Palace in a swap deal for Brennan Johnson, as talks between the Premier League clubs progress. The move comes just over six months after McNeil's proposed loan move to Palace collapsed on deadline day of the winter window.
Background of the Transfer
McNeil was set to join Palace on loan with an obligation to make the move permanent for £20m in the summer, but the south London club pulled out at the last minute. McNeil's partner, Megan Sharpley, publicly criticized the confusion, saying they were left "broken-hearted" and "hurt more than I can say."
Now, the former Burnley winger could still move to Selhurst Park, with Johnson—who joined Palace from Tottenham Hotspur for a club-record £35m in January—moving in the opposite direction to Merseyside.
Statistical Comparison
Using Comparisonator's Me2Others tool, the two players' performances last season can be compared. In terms of Artificial Intelligence Points, which consider league weights, positional difficulties, and team quality across 378 parameters, McNeil scores higher at 159 to 132.
McNeil also rates higher in offensive (51.15), defensive (25.61 vs 22.87), and duels (29.99 vs 24.31). Johnson, however, has the edge in passing (47 vs 37.92) and physical performance (376 vs 362).
Physical and Offensive Stats
McNeil covered more distance per 90 minutes (10.283km vs 9.799km), but Johnson had a higher distance per minute (190m vs 184m) and a faster maximum speed (35.04km/h vs 33.82km/h).
Surprisingly, Johnson struggled offensively, despite scoring 18 goals in all competitions in his first season at Spurs in 2024/25. McNeil had a slightly higher expected goals (xG) of 0.1 vs 0.07, and better scores for shots (1.63 vs 0.45), shots on target (0.43 vs 0.3), and successful dribbles (0.85 vs 0.6). Johnson made more progressive runs (1.81 vs 1.28).
Defensive and Passing Stats
Defensively, McNeil recorded more ball recoveries (4.68 vs 2.57), but Johnson made more interceptions (3.32 vs 2.91) and clearances (1.96 vs 0.71).
McNeil made more passes (25.3 vs 17.67) and successful passes (19.84 vs 11.02), but Johnson put in more crosses (3.02 vs 2.2) and successful crosses (0.91 vs 0.78).
Duels and Overall Assessment
McNeil contested more duels (15.09 vs 10.87) and won more (6.28 vs 4.23), but Johnson had a slightly higher success rate (42% vs 39%).
Overall, Everton would need to approach this deal carefully. However, if the transfer is a straight exchange with no additional money, it could be worth the gamble. McNeil has 12 months left on his contract and was willing to leave in January, suggesting he is not in the club's long-term plans.
Johnson has had a tough time at Palace, failing to score in 26 appearances, but he commanded a £47.5m fee when he left Nottingham Forest three years ago. It remains to be seen if David Moyes can revive Johnson's fortunes.
