Brennan Johnson, the second-most expensive signing in Crystal Palace history, has been shipped off to Everton in an unusual swap deal with Dwight McNeil heading the other way.Johnson joined Palace in early January for £35million, a club-record fee trumped only by Jorgen Strand Larsen a few weeks later. Around the same time they landed Strand Larsen, Palace agreed a £15million deal for McNeil, before pulling the plug at the 11th hour.Yet, seven months later, McNeil is a Palace player and Johnson is an Everton player despite no money changing hands. How did we get here?Well, McNeil had one year remaining on his contract at Everton, while Johnson had four years left to run at Palace. Both players had been valued in January, at £15million and £35million respectively.Take the housing market. If someone has their house valued at £500,000, they don’t accept an offer for £100,000 seven months later – unless the market crashes.The football transfer market is more inflated than ever, and Palace have essentially acknowledged they overspent on Johnson in January by proceeding with this deal. Brennan Johnson won the Conference League at Crystal Palace, but did little to contribute – failing to score in 26 appearances after joining in JanuarySwapping him for a £15million asset accepts a £20million loss, certainly in cash-flow terms. There are some clever accounting mechanisms to limit the brutal hit on the books. But even so, it is cash Palace will never see again – just seven months after investing.They have, however, offloaded a top earner, with Johnson’s Palace salary thought to be £125,000 a week. McNeil is understood to be on significantly less. That frees up some much-needed funds.Where did it all go wrong?When Johnson spoke ahead of last season’s Conference League final, there remained a sense that all was not lost for him in a Crystal Palace shirt.Despite a dismal start to life at Selhurst Park, Johnson was introspective in a bumper 17-minute interview.Five Palace players spoke that day, but Johnson stuck around significantly longer than his counterparts. He was optimistic and portrayed his move to Palace as the right decision, even after a disappointing, goalless four months.Yet behind that mask was a man without any self-belief. Damaged by a difficult half-season under Thomas Frank at Tottenham Hotspur, Johnson had seen his minutes limited despite being Spurs’ key man the previous season – scoring 18 goals in a campaign that ended in Europa League glory.At Spurs, Johnson went from top dog to a player largely frozen out. From the highest point of his career, scoring the winner in a European final, to the lowest, all in a matter of months. Brennan Johnson scored the winning goal in the 2025 Europa League final, but Ange Postecoglou’s exit as Spurs boss saw his minutes dropA fresh opportunity in January was welcomed, with Palace keen to bolster their forward options for the culmination of their Conference League campaign. In the end, however, it was a mistake.The first problem for the 25-year-old was his incompatibility with Palace’s style of play. Johnson is an out-and-out winger. He thrives when starting wide, making lung-busting runs from the touchline before eventually finding himself in space at the far post. It is his trademark move.But at Palace, he was shoehorned into a narrow position, playing as a No 10 – a role he had no experience of – meaning he rarely had the opportunity to showcase what he does best.Then Palace boss Oliver Glasner felt he was overburdening himself, and his performances were floundering as a result.‘I feel sometimes he puts himself under too much pressure so that he doesn’t play with this freedom that maybe he should have,’ Glasner said in March.‘He just should enjoy playing football because he’s such a great player. He has all the skills. With freedom I think then he will be the best version of himself and have his best performances.’But as the weeks went on, his confidence continued to plummet. Johnson missed a crucial penalty in Wales’ World Cup qualification play-off against Bosnia in March, and he never recovered. Johnson never got going at Selhurst Park and played like a player with very little confidenceThere was rarely any conviction behind his actions on the pitch. That is not to say he was not trying; rather, he did not back himself.There was a consistent absence of end product from the Welshman, who occasionally ventured into promising positions but stopped short of delivering the final ball or applying the finishing touch.His performances were insipid – averaging just 1.72 dribbles per 90 minutes, 3.08 touches in the opposition box per 90 and losing possession 13.12 times per 90.There was very little Johnson did well in a Palace shirt, which is not necessarily an indictment of his ability.He showed more in training than he ever did in a game. Daily Mail Sport understands several Palace players wanted Johnson to remain at the club because they believed in his talent – from glimpses on the training pitch – and just felt he needed reassuring.But members of the hierarchy are thought to have been unconvinced early on and were worried that they had misspent £35million.As his wait to end his goal drought dragged on, his head continued to drop. The outside noise also increased, with supporters becoming irritated by his lack of output. Palace travel to his new club Everton on the opening day of the Premier League season, and Johnson will hope to prove those doubters wrong immediately.How did the swap deal come about?By the summer, Palace accepted he was the wrong fit and decided to cut their losses, with Johnson equally keen to find a new challenge. That presented an opportunity to Everton, who were among the potential suitors in January.Toffees boss David Moyes has long been an admirer of Johnson, tracking him since his days at Nottingham Forest – he even tried to sign him while West Ham boss.The club were amazed by Palace’s generous terms and negotiated a straight swap for McNeil. But it has been suggested that both Palace and Johnson believed it was best for him to move on, paving the way for a rare swap deal. The pair also share the same agency, Unique Sports Group. David Moyes has finally got his man, having chased Johnson while West Ham boss Merseyside may prove a more suitable landing spot for Johnson, playing in a familiar system and role, back on the right wing. He will be encouraged to embark on those wide runs that were rarely seen in a Palace shirt.Moyes, too, is a good manager for wounded animals. Last season he rejuvenated Jack Grealish after a tough spell at Manchester City. He did similarly for Jesse Lingard at West Ham. The Scot will back himself to unearth the attacker that showed so much promise at Nottingham Forest and in his first two seasons at Spurs.For Everton, there is little risk, aside from his hefty wages. They have acquired a player with a track record of delivering goals and assists – Palace aside – but one in desperate need of nurturing and guidance. All they needed to do was sacrifice McNeil, who they had been prepared to sell for some time.