As the new Premier League season approaches, clubs are actively recruiting players and preparing their line-ups. Numerous transfers have taken place already, but a unique arrangement occurred this week involving Crystal Palace and Everton, which has attracted considerable attention.
According to a source who spoke with ESPN, the two clubs have completed a deal involving a direct swap: Palace winger Brennan Johnson will switch places with Everton’s Dwight McNeil, with neither club exchanging any transfer fees.
Both players are anticipated to undergo medical examinations at their new teams on Monday, followed by signing four-year contracts.
Although the term “straight swap” is often used in transfer negotiations, true player-for-player exchanges without extra fees are relatively rare in high-level football.
One of the most notable recent swaps involved Alexis Sanchez moving from Arsenal to Manchester United in January 2018, with Mkhitaryan going the other way to even the scales.
At one stage, Sanchez seemed set to join Manchester City, but they withdrew from negotiations over Arsenal’s £35 million asking price. This opened the door for Manchester United to secure the Chilean forward by including Mkhitaryan in the agreement, which conveniently matched the valuation of £35 million for both players.
Arsenal’s manager Arsene Wenger remarked, “We lose a world-class player and gain a world-class player,” encapsulating the sentiment of the trade, although it can be argued that neither player thrived in their new surrounding afterward.
Sanchez made just five goals in 43 appearances over two and a half years at United. Mkhitaryan had a similar fate at Arsenal, netting nine times in 59 games during his two-year spell.
Interestingly, both players later became teammates at Inter Milan, where Mkhitaryan remains today, and they shared in winning the 2023-24 Serie A title.
Jose Antonio Reyes & Julian Baptista
The Sanchez-Mkhitaryan swap wasn’t Arsenal’s first involvement in a straight player exchange.
In 2006, they executed a similar arrangement, sending winger Jose Antonio Reyes to Real Madrid while bringing long-time target Julio Baptista back to London on deadline day in dual season-long loan deals.
Despite having previously pursued Baptista, Arsenal had seen him join Madrid, where he struggled to make an impact in his debut season. Meanwhile, Reyes had enjoyed a relatively successful stint with Arsenal but was eager to return to Spain, making the swap logical.
Baptista had a quiet impact in the Premier League, though he did score six goals in three League Cup matches as Arsenal reached the final, where they were ultimately defeated by Chelsea.
Reyes scored seven goals in 38 appearances for Madrid. He later played for Atlético Madrid, Benfica, and Sevilla before tragically dying in a car accident in 2019.
Clarence Seedorf & Francesco Coco
In 2002, a surprising deal occurred between Serie A rivals Inter Milan and AC Milan, resulting in a direct swap of Clarence Seedorf and Francesco Coco.
Despite two years at Inter without any trophies, Seedorf, then just 26, switched to Milan, while Coco, who had spent the previous season loaned to Barcelona, moved to Inter.
Seedorf flourished at Milan, enjoying a decade filled with trophies, including two Serie A championships and two Champions League titles.
On the other hand, Coco’s time at Inter was plagued with injuries, and after several unproductive loans, he departed the club in 2007, later pursuing a career in acting.
Fabio Cannavaro & Fabian Carini
Two years later, Inter found themselves on the losing end of another swap deal when they let Fabio Cannavaro join Juventus on the summer transfer deadline day.
The transfer saw Juve’s backup goalkeeper Carini head to Inter, with both player’s valuations estimated around €10 million, despite Carini’s limited first-team experience at Juve.
Cannavaro would go on to win two Serie A titles with Juve (both later stripped due to the Calciopoli scandal) and helped Italy secure the 2006 World Cup, becoming the third defender ever to win the Ballon d’Or.
Carini, despite earning 74 caps for Uruguay, managed only four appearances at Inter before his move to Murcia in 2007, and he retired in 2016 due to a persistent back injury.
Kenwyne Jones & Peter Odemwingie
During the 2013-14 Premier League season, Cardiff City and Stoke City completed a striker swap as Kenwyne Jones and Peter Odemwingie traded places without any transfer fees.
After an unproductive stint with Stoke, Jones found little success at Cardiff, scoring just once in 11 appearances for the remainder of the season. Odemwingie had a slightly better start at Stoke, netting five goals in 15 matches, though his tenure at the Britannia Stadium was largely uneventful over three years.