Dwight McNeil’s anticipated move to Crystal Palace collapsed in dramatic fashion on Monday’s transfer deadline day, leaving the Everton winger stranded despite having completed a medical examination and agreed personal terms on a four-and-a-half-year contract.
The south London club had secured a loan-to-buy arrangement worth £20million for the 26-year-old midfielder, submitting a deal sheet to the Premier League before the 19:00 GMT cut-off to secure additional time.
Yet the transfer ultimately fell through due to Palace’s failure to file the necessary documentation.
Everton are understood to have submitted their required paperwork, leaving the Merseyside club mystified by events.
Dwight McNeil’s partner, Megan Sharpley, hit out at the treatment of the Everton star
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McNeil’s partner, Megan Sharpley, took to Instagram to express her anguish at the situation, accusing Palace of treating the player callously.
“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 wrote.
Sharpley described how the couple had “prepared to move our life 100s of miles away” only to receive “radio silence” from the London club when the deal unravelled.
She questioned why football considers it acceptable “to mess and toy with their mental health” simply because players earn substantial wages.
“We all deserve to be treated with respect, kindness, and fairly,” Sharpley added.
The proposed arrangement would have seen McNeil join Palace on loan initially, with an obligation to complete a permanent £20m transfer at the season’s end.
Reports suggest the collapse of Jean-Philippe Mateta’s £30m departure to Milan, following a failed medical for the French striker, prompted Palace to alter their approach to the McNeil deal.
Jean-Philippe Mateta’s £30m departure to Milan collapsed on deadline day
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REUTERS
The Eagles endured another turbulent deadline day, having previously seen chairman Steve Parish withdraw Marc Guehi from a proposed Liverpool transfer in September.
Palace did manage to secure Jørgen Strand Larsen from Wolverhampton Wanderers in a deal worth up to £48m, breaking their transfer record for the second time in a month.
McNeil himself responded on social media, expressing his determination to move forward despite the bewildering circumstances.
Dwight McNeil has since responded himself on social media
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“Whilst even now I’m still left in the dark… what I do know, and have been supported with, I am an Everton player. I will use this as motivation,” he wrote.
The winger, who arrived at Goodison Park from Burnley in July 2022, has found opportunities limited since David Moyes replaced Sean Dyche as manager.
This campaign has seen McNeil start merely seven of his fourteen Premier League appearances.
His prospects may diminish further following Everton’s deadline day acquisition of Chelsea youngster Tyrique George on loan.
