Crystal Palace co-owner and chairman Steve Parish contacted Dwight McNeil's partner before the midfielder's transfer to the club on Tuesday. McNeil has officially signed a four-year contract with Palace in a swap deal that saw Brennan Johnson move to Everton.

Previously, McNeil, 26, nearly joined Selhurst Park during the January transfer window when Palace agreed to a loan-to-buy deal. This arrangement would have transitioned into a £20m permanent move, but it fell through at the last minute due to paperwork issues, despite McNeil passing a medical.

Following the failed transfer, McNeil's partner Megan Sharpley expressed her frustration on Instagram, highlighting the mental health challenges faced by players:

We live in a world where everyone is aware of how big a problem mental health is. To have something promised to you... to be toyed with until the final minute... has hurt more than I can say.

To address the situation, Parish reportedly reached out to Sharpley to smooth things over ahead of the recent deal. McNeil, who joined Everton from Burnley for £20m in July 2022, scored 15 goals in 128 games for the Toffees.

Reflecting on his move, McNeil stated, "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."

Parish praised McNeil as "a player with proven ability in the Premier League." Meanwhile, Johnson, who signed for Palace in a £35m deal in January, struggled to make an impact, managing 26 appearances without scoring.