Swap deals are rare in modern football.
Usually, we see one player go for a lofty fee, and another go the other direction in order to circumvent PSR issues. Here’s looking at you, Chelsea and Aston Villa. And yet, Crystal Palace and Everton were involved in a transfer that saw Brennan Johnson leave Selhurst Park for the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Dwight McNeil went the other way, the winger completing a long-protracted move to south London. McNeil was heavily linked with a Palace move back in the January transfer window. The switch fell through at the last minute, so it’s been a long time in the making.
Both teams seem content with the respective move. However, who of Palace and Everton have got the better deal?
Who has won this swap deal?
Creativity
As is the case with any side, you want your wingers to bring a spark of magic in the final third. They need to be able to pry apart defences with ease. Here, McNeil edges Johnson.
Palace’s new signing ranked higher for chances created per 90 minutes (1.2 to 1) in the Premier League last season. In addition, McNeil fared better for open-play passes completed per 90 (20.2 to 12.2), passing accuracy (81.48% to 65.97%) and through-balls per 90 (0.4 to 0.2).
Not only was McNeil better at creating for others, the 26-year-old also retained possession to a higher standard. This is key for a Palace side that is looking to move on quickly from Oliver Glasner.
Conversely, Johnson ranked higher for crosses per 90 (3.7 to 3.3) and managed a superior cross accuracy (26.09% to 23.81%). Any winger needs to be able to accurately find a teammate from out wide. McNeil may be renowned for his crossing ability but underperformed in comparison to Johnson.
Dribbling
Any winger worth one’s salt needs to be able to beat a man. There isn’t much point in a wideman who can hardly beat a marker. Both Palace and Everton will hope their respective new signing is the superior out wide.
While both McNeil and Johnson struggled to routinely ghost past an opponent, the former outperformed the latter for both completed take-ons (0.6 to 0.5) and take-on success rate (58.33% to 28.57%).
Johnson, to his credit, won marginally more duels per 90 (3.5) than McNeil (3.4), though the Welshman lost possession more times per 90 (13.1) than the English winger (11.5).
McNeil also managed a slightly better ground duel success rate (43.53%) than the new Everton man (43.48%). Either way, McNeil was the better player when it came to try and beat a man in the Premier League last season.
Goal threat
Ultimately, the swap deal will only succeed if both teams are content with their new player. If Everton were keen to add another goal threat to the squad, then they got the better of the bargain.
McNeil, after all, failed to score a single Premier League goal last season. Johnson, meanwhile, netted twice, although both were for former side Tottenham Hotspur. Even so, Johnson offered the greater 18-yard box threat.
The Wales international averaged more touches in the opposition box per 90 (3.1) than McNeil (1.8) in England’s top tier last term. Additionally, McNeil only slightly outperformed Johnson for both shots (1 to 0.9) and shots on target per 90 (0.4 to 0.3).
The new Eagles man also had the better shot accuracy (41.67% to 31.25%), though it counted for little given McNeil failed to hit the back of the net.
Defensive work
A crucial aspect of any modern winger is their ability to successfully defend from the front. Wideman need to also contribute defensively in order to aid their team of the ball.
McNeil, again, shines brighter than Johnson here. The Palace man ranked better for tackles per 90 (1.8 to 1.6) and conceded fewer fouls per 90 (0.9 to 1.1) in the 2025/26 Premier League campaign.
What’s more, McNeil made more interceptions (0.8 to 0.3) and ball recoveries per 90 (4.8 to 3) than Johnson in England’s top tier last term. One of Johnson’s shortcomings has been his lack of effort out of possession. The stats back up the notion that the former Tottenham man struggled off the ball.
It could also be one of the primary reasons Palace were happy to sanction his departure just six months after his arrival. In conclusion, then, it’s Palace who should be the happier of the two teams. McNeil may have failed to score last season, but he offers more than Johnson both on and off the ball.