Crystal Palace stance on Dwight McNeil transfer collapse shared as £10m detail emerges
Dwight McNeil fell victim to a deadline day collapse, with the Everton wideman’s move to Crystal Palace breaking down on Monday.
McNeil was set to join Palace on the final day of the window, bringing an end to a poor recent period at Everton, where he has registered just one goal contribution this season.
The deal between the two clubs broke down, though, sparking an emotional Instagram message from McNeil’s girlfriend.
Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol has since offered insight as to why the deal for McNeil broke down from the Eagles’ perspective.
Kaveh Solhekol outlines Crystal Palace thoughts as Dwight McNeil deal collapses
After a tough time at the Hill Dickinson Stadium this term, the deal was in place for the winger to get a fresh start at Palace, before the agreement collapsed, keeping McNeil on Merseyside for the foreseeable future.
Sky Sports reporter Solhekol said that: “From Crystal Palace’s side, they have huge sympathy for the player and what he went through yesterday.”
“The background from their perspective to the deal, was that, initially, they were led to believe that they could get the player for around £10 million. That was a very attractive deal considering he is a player who is versatile, can play on the right, can also play as a left wing back, which is very important to the system that Crystal Palace play under Oliver Glasner.
“I think after talks, it became clear that the deal was actually not going to be £10m, it was going to be £20m once various clauses were layered into the deal. And at that price, Palace felt there was always a risk that the deal was not going to happen. I am being told that was communicated to the player.
Despite the deal being in the balance due to the financial outlay, Solhekol added: “The deal was finally agreed just 45 minutes before the deadline at 6:15 pm last night, but of course that left very little time for the deal to be completed.
“Even after the agreement at 6:15, I think there were some discussions about the payment structure, and the complications surrounding that, that were not agreed either.”
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There are no winners in Dwight McNeil saga
After McNeil’s poor run of form at Everton, a fresh start could have been perfect for him on a personal level, while Everton would have been bringing in a sizeable cash windfall for an out-of-form player.
Everton are now left with a player who had his heart set on a move to South London – something that will likely further hurt his chances of returning to form on Merseyside.
There is always a risk when it comes to completing deals on deadline day, and the saga involving McNeil shows exactly that, and neither the 26-year-old or Everton as a club, will benefit from him still being around at Finch Farm.
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