Palace slammed for “toying” with Dwight McNeil’s mental health after transfer collapse
Everton winger Dwight McNeil’s move to Crystal Palace on 2 Feb 2026 collapsed on deadline day despite the 26-year-old completing his medical and agreeing terms on a four-and-a-half-year deal. The transfer was scrapped last-minute after Palace altered their offer, leaving McNeil and Everton without clear communication, and McNeil remains at Goodison Park.
McNeil’s partner, Megan Sharpley, took to Instagram to criticise Palace’s handling, accusing the club of “toying” with his mental health and causing needless emotional turmoil. “To have something promised to you… and then be left broken-hearted with nothing but confusion has hurt more than I can say,” she wrote, highlighting the lack of phone calls or explanations from the club.
Sharpley also questioned the football industry’s treatment of players’ well-being, insisting “we all deserve to be treated with respect, kindness, and fairly.”
Everton officials were left frustrated by the abrupt U-turn, and McNeil now focuses on his future with the Merseyside side amid transfer fallout.