Crystal Palace and Dwight McNeil were at the centre of a failed last-minute transfer during the winter transfer window.
Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has moved to clear the air with Dwight McNeil’s partner ahead of the Everton player’s imminent move to the club. It’s been a long and messy road to get this deal done.
McNeil was primed for a move to the Eagles back in January. He’d even undergone a medical ahead of a loan deal with a £20million obligation to buy. But Palace failed to complete the relevant paperwork in time. The transfer window slammed shut, and the move collapsed at the final minute.
The 26-year-old has played 128 times for Everton since joining from Burnley in 2022. He was due to join Palace on loan with an obligation to buy, but the deal never materialised.
Meghan Sharpley burst out on a failed transfer
Megan Sharpley, McNeil’s girlfriend, didn’t hold back. She took to Instagram in a lengthy series of stories to hit out at what went on, including accusing Palace of messing with McNeil’s mental health.
She wrote about the emotional toll it took. “Tonight, and the last 48 hours, have broken my heart to see how the football world you love so much can be so cruel to you,” she said.
She went into detail about the chaos of deadline day. “To have something promised to you, to have been dragged along on an emotional rollercoaster, and to be toyed with until the final minute,” she wrote.
“To have 4-and-a-half-years of your life promised to you, traveling, medicals, agreements made… promises made. To have prepared to move your entire life, our life 100 of miles away in the space of a few hours.
“For it to be torn away from you at the last second, with absolutely no explanation. Going from everything – to radio silence, no phone call, no communication and be left, broken hearted with nothing but confusion, has hurt more than I can say.”
She spoke about the human side of football that fans rarely see. “We live in a world where everyone is aware how big of a problem mental health is,” she added. “So in football, why do we find it acceptable because these young men are on a lot of money, that it’s okay to mess and toy with their mental health and that’s just ‘part of the job’?
“No matter of money, we all deserve to be treated with respect, kindness and fairly. So I really question the industry tonight. I only hope there’s more done in the future to protect people from situations like what I’ve witnessed tonight.”
Crystal Palace making amends
Now, according to The Times, Parish has reached out to Sharpley to smooth things over so the transfer can move ahead. It’s a smart move from the chairman. The deal was clearly important to Crystal Palace, and mending fences was the right thing to do.
Both McNeil and Johnson spent Monday having medicals, with four-year deals for both players having been prepared. The swap deal between Palace and Everton is back on track.
Sharpley ended her original post with a message of support for her partner. “Dwight, to the present, and the future. Every single thing happens for a reason, I will always believe what is meant for you will find you,” she said.
It seems she was right. What was meant for Dwight McNeil has found him. The move is finally happening. Parish has done his bit to ensure the relationship with the player and his family starts on the right foot. After all the drama, it looks like this one is finally going through.
