Inside Dwight McNeil’s failed transfer to Crystal Palace as player and girlfriend despair after deal collapses

Crystal Palace did not intend to abandon a move for Dwight McNeil on Deadline Day despite the transfer collapsing.

McNeil’s girlfriend Megan Sharpley shared an emotional social media post on Monday saying the Everton midfielder was ‘toyed with until the final minute.’

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talkSPORT understands Palace are sympathetic to McNeil’s plight and that time simply ran out in trying to get the deal over the line.

Negotiations ran late in the day and Palace had started with the hope the fee would be £10m. Yet it soon became apparent with add-ons that Everton wanted £20m.

An agreement in principle was reached at 6:15pm, 45 minutes before the deadline, but the payment terms were still being finalised and formalisation was subject to legal checks.

In the end time ran out, with Everton insiders insisting Palace pulled out.

Palace had a genuine intent to try and get the transfer over the line and Jean-Philippe Mateta staying at Selhurst Park had no bearing on the decision not to proceed.

The failed transfer prompted Sharpley to express her disappointment in a statement posted on Instagram.

Candid social media post

She paid a glowing tribute to McNeil before going on to question the football industry and its role in protecting players’ mental health when transfers break down.

Sharpley wrote: “Dwight, I’ve always been in awe of your job, the way you’ve committed most of your life to achieve what only the O.1 per cent achieve.

“I know you love your job, the sport and you know how lucky you are to do what most people only dreams of.

“We appreciate our lives, how fortunate we are, and the millions of football fans that keep the game alive and ultimately keep you in a job you adore.

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“You’ve sacrificed a lot and most people don’t have much of an idea of the difficult hardships you’ve suffered and dealt with in your personal life, and we crack on, that’s who we are, we appreciate how blessed our lives are.

“But the world doesn’t seem to accept that someone as fortunate as you is allowed to suffer hardships and feel sad, but you’re a human, a beautiful, incredible 26-year-old human being, and no matter about money or the success you’ve worked so hard to achieve, you are allowed to feel.”

Her statement continued: “Tonight, and the last 48 hours, have broken my heart to see how the football world you love so much can be so cruel to you.

“To have something promised to you, to have been dragged along on an emotional rollercoaster, and to be toyed with until the final minute.

“To have four 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.

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“I sit with you, knowing in my heart and deep down into my soul that you will bounce back from this.

“I am your biggest supporter, and I know you will overcome this with a fire in your belly and a motivation that no one can stop.

“I have already seen it tonight, even whilst you’re facing the lowest point of your career.”

‘We deserve respect’

Explaining the ‘brutal’ nature of the football industry, she added: “We live in a world where everyone is aware how big of a problem mental health is.

“So in football, why do we find it acceptable because these young men are on a lot of money, that it’s okay to mess and toy with their mental health and that’s it just ‘part of the job’?

“No matter of money, we all deserve to be treated with respect, kindness and fairly.

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“So I really question the industry tonight, I only hope there’s more done in the future to protect people from situations like what I’ve witnessed tonight Football is brutal and yes, it’s the nature of the beast, but messing with human beings feelings and emotions shouldn’t be acceptable.

“People only see one side on the media, you don’t see the tears, the emotion and the distress I’ve seen tonight.

“Dwight, to the present, and the future. Every single thing happens for a reason, I will always believe what is meant for you will find you, and with your hard work and determination, I’ll never doubt only the best will come your way, and I’m so excited to see what you can achieve…”

In response to the failed transfer, McNeil wrote: “Whilst even now I’m still left in the dark, what I do know, and have been supported with, I am an Everton player.

“I will use this as motivation, I love you moo, I couldn’t thank you enough for all of your love and support.”