Crystal Palace is cutting its losses on Brennan Johnson barely seven months after making the Welsh winger the most expensive signing in the club’s history. The £35 million acquisition from Tottenham Hotspur in January 2026 produced exactly zero Premier League goals across 18 appearances.
Palace is now in advanced negotiations with Everton over a swap deal that would send Johnson to Goodison Park in exchange for winger Dwight McNeil. Medical tests for the proposed swap are expected around August 11, 2026.
A record fee, a record disappointment
When Palace signed Johnson on January 2, 2026, the club shattered its previous transfer record, which had stood since the Christian Benteke deal back in 2016, to bring in a player who had been valued at £47.5 million when Tottenham bought him from Nottingham Forest in 2023.
Johnson’s debut came on January 4, 2026, just two days after the transfer was completed. Palace lost 2-0 to Newcastle United. Across 18 league appearances stretching into August 2026, Johnson managed a single assist and no goals.
