Johnson has officially signed a four-year deal with Everton , just eight months after joining Crystal Palace for a reported club-record fee of £35 million. In a rare Premier League transfer swap, winger McNeil has moved in the opposite direction to Selhurst Park. The winger's brief spell in south London was a major disappointment. The Wales international failed to score a single goal in 26 appearances across all competitions following his initial move from Tottenham .
Similarly, McNeil struggled for form last season. Once touted as a potential superstar during his time at Burnley , the 26-year-old also failed to find the back of the net in 25 appearances for the Toffees.
Reacting to the unexpected swap deal live on air, former Tottenham midfielder O'Hara and ex-Aston Villa striker Agbonlahor did not hold back in their assessment of the two wingers.
"I like Dwight McNeil," O'Hara said on talkSPORT . " Brennan Johnson has been a myth for a few seasons. He didn't do it at Spurs. He hides in games."
Agbonlahor then weighed in on their respective statistics. "You look at their output last season," he noted, highlighting their severe lack of goals and assists. "It's a bit like 'you give us him and we'll give you him!'"
The pair laughed as O'Hara brutally concluded: "'We'll give you crap, we'll give you crap back!'"
After a clip of the harsh exchange was posted on Instagram, Johnson wasted no time in delivering a cutting, eight-word response in the comments section: "Won more than both of these put together."
Following the viral reply, O'Hara took to X on Wednesday morning to defend his position, insisting that the widely shared clip did not tell the full story of their broadcast.
"This [is] the [problem] when you only listen to a clip and not full story," he wrote. "We were talking about Brennan and McNeil's stats from last season which were CRAP not that they were bad players. I'm a fan of McNeill and also said Brennan has all the attributes but he would admit his season was crap."
An immediate opening weekend reunion
Johnson will now be fully focused on silencing his vocal doubters following his high-profile move to the Hill Dickinson Stadium. The 25-year-old will be desperate to rediscover his best attacking form under David Moyes. Meanwhile, McNeil will attempt to rejuvenate his own stalled career at Selhurst Park, hoping a fresh start in London can unlock his clear potential.
Incredibly, the two wingers will not have to wait long to face their former employers. Everton and Crystal Palace are scheduled to go head-to-head on the opening weekend of the new Premier League season, setting up a immediate reunion.
