Premier League transfer roundup: Everton and Palace agree rare swap as Fulham close £30m deal

Everton and Crystal Palace have agreed a direct exchange involving Brennan Johnson and Dwight McNeil, while Fulham are closing in on Southampton midfielder Shea Charles. Elsewhere, Aston Villa and Chelsea have confirmed the departures of Lucas Digne and Trevoh Chalobah as Premier League clubs continue reshaping their squads ahead of the new season.

The Premier League transfer market has produced another series of significant moves, led by an unusual direct player exchange between Everton and Crystal Palace. The two clubs have reached an agreement that will see Brennan Johnson move to Everton and Dwight McNeil head in the opposite direction, with no additional transfer fee involved. Both players are expected to sign four-year contracts with options for an additional season, subject to completing their medical examinations.

The deal offers both forwards an opportunity for a fresh start. Johnson, 25, only joined Crystal Palace from Tottenham in January for a reported £35 million but struggled to reproduce the attacking output he had previously shown in north London. McNeil, meanwhile, has been with Everton since arriving from Burnley in 2022. A move to Palace had already been discussed earlier this year, with a proposed January transfer failing to materialise.

The agreement is particularly notable because straight player swaps remain relatively uncommon in Premier League transfer business, where clubs generally prefer to structure purchases and sales as separate transactions. Assuming both medicals are completed successfully, Johnson and McNeil will effectively exchange places between two established top-flight clubs shortly before the start of the 2026/27 campaign.

Fulham are also close to completing one of their most significant deals of the summer after agreeing a package worth up to £30 million with Southampton for midfielder Shea Charles. The 22-year-old Northern Ireland international is expected to undergo a medical before finalising the move to Craven Cottage. Charles joined Southampton from Manchester City and has developed into one of the most highly valued young midfielders outside the Premier League.

The transfer would provide Fulham with another long-term option in central midfield and underlines the club’s willingness to make a substantial investment in a player entering the next stage of his career. The £30 million valuation also makes the move particularly significant for Southampton, while Manchester City are expected to benefit from a sell-on arrangement connected to Charles’ previous transfer.

Two other Premier League clubs have completed notable outgoing transfers. Aston Villa confirmed that Lucas Digne has returned to Paris Saint-Germain on a permanent basis. The 33-year-old French left-back made 182 appearances for Villa after joining from Everton in January 2022, scoring four goals and providing 24 assists. He was also part of the Villa side that won the Europa League last season before representing France during its run to the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup.

Digne has signed a three-year contract with PSG after the French champions activated a release clause reported to be worth around £6 million to £7 million. The move takes him back to the club where he played between 2013 and 2016 and removes another experienced member from an Aston Villa squad undergoing considerable change this summer.

Chelsea have also sanctioned the permanent departure of Trevoh Chalobah, who has joined Serie A side Como. The transfer ends a connection with Chelsea stretching back almost two decades, having entered the club’s academy at the age of eight. The England defender will now work with Cesc Fàbregas at a Como side continuing to invest heavily in its development. The deal has been reported at around €30 million plus potential add-ons.

The latest moves illustrate how the final weeks of the summer window are increasingly becoming about squad balance as much as headline signings. Everton and Palace are effectively exchanging players who may benefit from different environments, Fulham are investing heavily in a younger midfielder, while Villa and Chelsea are generating room and transfer income through experienced departures.

With medicals still required for the Johnson-McNeil exchange and the Charles transfer, further confirmation should follow shortly if there are no complications. More broadly, the latest activity suggests that Premier League clubs are entering a more decisive phase of the window, with squad restructuring likely to accelerate as managers finalise their plans for the 2026/27 season.