David Moyes insists the deal to take Crystal Palace l did not fall through due to any issue at Everton's end
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - JANUARY 18: David Moyes, head coach of Everton, during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Everton at Villa Park on January 18, 2026 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
David Moyes has given the Everton view on the collapse of Dwight McNeil's move to Crystal Palace on transfer deadline day(Image: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
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David Moyes says the collapse of Dwight McNeil’s transfer to Crystal Palace was “100%” not Everton’s fault. A deal that would have seen the 26-year-old move to Selhurst Park collapsed in the final minutes of the transfer window.
Both Everton and the player’s partner, Megan Sharpley, are understood to have concerns about Palace’s handling of the move as it broke down.
Oliver Glasner, the Palace manager, said this week that he believed the deal fell through due to the terms changing late in talks.
In his press conference ahead of the Blues' trip to Fulham on Saturday, Moyes refrained from going into extensive detail but insisted there were no issues at the club’s end.
The Everton manager stressed: “I can tell you 100% it was nothing to do with Everton Football Club that’s for sure.”
He added: “It does happen and players have to live with it. It wasn’t that we didn’t want it to happen, we gave permission for Dwight to go for a medical and do all the things required for it.
“It was very hard to do much more than what we have done.”
When asked how the midfielder had responded to the disappointment, Moyes said: “Dwight’s fine, he’s training as well. Dwight’s okay.
“He understands exactly where it went wrong and how it broke down, so he knows everything about it and there are no problems there.”
Sharpley posted a long message on her Instagram account on Monday night in which she claimed Palace had “toyed” with McNeil and said the move ended without communication from the London club. McNeil shared her comment on his profile.
The deal was for an initial loan that would have been made permanent for £20m in the summer.
Addressing the fallout from the Palace end, manager Glasner said: "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.”