Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner has spoken about his club's failed bid to sign Everton winger Dwight McNeil late on transfer deadline day
Oliver Glasner says he is disappointed that Dwight McNeil's transfer deadline day move from Everton to Crystal Palace fell through
Oliver Glasner says he is disappointed that Dwight McNeil's transfer deadline day move from Everton to Crystal Palace fell through (Image: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)
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Oliver Glasner insisted he understood the disappointment of Dwight McNeil and his partner after the Everton winger's deadline day move to Crystal Palace collapsed.
The London club submitted a deal sheet in an apparent effort to get the signing over the line - with the Palace boss saying he believed the 26-year-old would have been a valuable asset as he reshaped his attack.
It fell apart at the final hurdle, however, with both McNeil and Everton understood to have been frustrated by what they claim was a lack of communication in the vital moments. Glasner said his understanding was that it was due to a late change in the terms of the deal.
Speaking for the first time over the move for McNeil, Glasner told Sky Sports: "We all are disappointed that this deal didn't happen. I already planned that next day on training with him.
"And then, right at the end of the transfer, it can always happen on deadline day - so many things can happen that the deal doesn't happen.
"And this, I was told, is that the terms of the deal changed in the last hours. And then the time is just too short to get the deal over the line. And then the deal failed.”
It is understood the clubs agreed an initial loan move that included an obligation for Palace to make it permanent in the summer for £20m.
McNeil had completed a medical when the the move fell apart, leading to his partner, Megan Sharpley, issuing an emotional statement on social media in which she wrote: “To have something promised to you, you have been dragged along an emotional rollercoaster, and to be toyed with until the final minute. To have 4 and a half years of your life promised to you, travelling, medicals, agreements made…promises made. To have prepared to move your entire life, our life’s 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.”
Everton are understood to have offered McNeil any support he needs to come to terms with what happened.
Glasner, meanwhile, said: "I can understand him and his family are disappointed. But believe me, I had the same feeling, because I really have a huge appreciation for him.
"He would have been our most experienced Premier League player with 250 appearances, at just 26 years of age. We don't have a left-foot attacker. He would have been great in set-plays.
"He's always scoring four to six goals and having six to eight, nine assists - exactly what we were looking for, a left-footer who can add this to our team.
"So we're all disappointed that we couldn't get this deal done. And unfortunately, it happened in the last hour. And so I can understand his disappointment. I share his disappointment."
McNeil is expected to be in the Everton squad that heads to Fulham tomorrow (Saturday) for a Premier League match (3pm kick-off).