Palace co-owner spoke to McNeil’s partner before move

Crystal Palace co-owner and chairman Steve Parish contacted Dwight McNeil’s partner before the midfielder’s move to the club on Tuesday.

McNeil has completed a move to Palace and signed a four-year contract in a swap deal that involved Brennan Johnson moving to Everton.

McNeil, 26, nearly moved to Selhurst Park in the January transfer window when Palace agreed a loan-to-buy deal.

That deal would have turned into a £20m permanent move, only for the transfer to fall through when the required paperwork could not be completed in time, even though McNeil had already passed a medical.

After the deal fell through, McNeil’s partner Megan Sharpley was critical of Palace, writing on Instagram: “We live in a world where everyone is aware of how big a problem mental health is.

“So, in football, why do we find it acceptable because these young men are on a lot of money and that’s OK to mess and toy with their mental health and that it’s just part of the job?

“To have something promised to you, to have been dragged along on an emotional rollercoaster and to be toyed with until the final minute. For that to be torn away from you at the last second with absolutely no explanation has hurt more than I can say.”

BBC Sport understands that Parish reached out to smooth things over before this week’s deal was completed.

McNeil joined Everton from Burnley for £20m in July 2022 and scored 15 goals in 128 games for the Toffees.

Palace have won the FA Cup, Community Shield and Uefa Conference League in the last two seasons.

“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,” McNeil said.

Parish said McNeil is “a player with proven ability in the Premier League”.

Johnson signed for Palace in a £35m deal in January but struggled to find form and made 26 appearances in all competitions without scoring.

The Wales winger joined Tottenham Hotspur from Nottingham Forest for a fee in excess of £45m in 2023 and scored their winning goal in the Europa League final last May before moving to the Eagles.

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