Everton winger Dwight McNeil is poised to join Crystal Palace, with Eagles forward Brennan Johnson going in the other direction to sign for the Toffees, according to BBC Football. The swap deal will be treated as two separate transfers, and will be part of the assessment of the Premier League squad cost ratio (SCR) regulations.
The deal will affect the SCR calculations for Crystal Palace, as Johnson's valuation will be taken into account. If Johnson is valued at less than £30m, it could result in a £10m loss for the Eagles, as McNeil was valued at £20m when his proposed move to Crystal Palace fell through in February. The Premier League will make the final judgement on whether the deal passes fair market value (FMV) checks.
The FMV checks involve consulting external valuation companies to assess factors such as a player's age and performance level. The Premier League will make the final judgement on whether the deal passes FMV checks. The regulations around associated party transactions (APTs) and FMV were introduced in 2021 to safeguard the financial stability, integrity and competitive balance in the Premier League.
The swap deal is an unusual transfer window event, but it is permitted under Premier League regulations. The deal will be subject to the same rules as any other transfer, including the FMV checks. The Premier League will assess the deal and make a final decision on whether it passes the FMV checks.