The lesser-spotted swap deal, always great fun isn’t it?
The straight trade is a move that’s touted far more than it’s actually executed but Brennan Johnson’s switch with Dwight McNeil has now been completed between Crystal Palace and Everton.
Both players have signed four-year contracts at their new clubs and while rare, their swap is by no means one of a kind.
The Johnson/McNeil swap joins an illustrious list, with some incredibly high profile players such as Samuel Eto’o, Alexis Sanchez and Fabio Cannavaro involved in similar transactions down the years.
Here, we take a look at football’s swap shop, shining a light on 10 of the most high-profile examples.
Samuel Eto’o to Inter Milan – Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Barcelona (2009)
In 2009 the two giants struck a deal to swap two of the world’s best strikers.
Inter had the better end of the deal in every possible measure. Barcelona paid £46 million to Inter AND gave them Eto’o who, the season before, had scored in the Champions League final win against Manchester United.
To exacerbate the Catalan side’s loss, Eto’o went on to win the Champions League again under Jose Mourinho, while Ibrahimovic only lasted one season, struggling to adapt tactically with Lionel Messi and falling out with Pep Guardiola.
He still managed to score 22 goals and help the team to a LaLiga title but moved to AC Milan on loan the following season.
Samuel Eto’o embraces Zlatan Ibrahimovic ahead of a 2009 Champions League clash
Alexis Sanchez to Manchester United – Henrikh Mkhitaryan to Arsenal (2018)
In January of 2018 after a long, drawn-out contractual dispute between Arsenal’s then talisman Sanchez and the board, the Chilean left for Man United.
Arsenal allowed Sanchez to run down his contract and pick his next club. He originally wanted to go to Manchester City, but they were unwilling to pay him the £400,000-a-week salary that United offered.
Even though he only had six months left on his deal, Arsenal still received a makeweight in the form of Mkhitaryan.
Ultimately, the move wasn’t nearly as painful for the Gunners as it could have been. Most fans were despairing the prospect of losing Sanchez to a rival but he never truly delivered at Old Trafford.
Ashley Cole to Chelsea – William Gallas to Arsenal (2006)
Possibly the most infamous swap in history. After Arsenal’s 2006 Champions League final loss, Ashley Cole, who was regarded as the best left back in the world, was swayed by Jose Mourinho to swap north London for west.
They met in a hotel and Mourinho offered to double Cole’s salary, whereas Arsenal’s offer was so low he allegedly ‘nearly crashed his car’ when his agent told him the terms.
Cole only had a year left on his Arsenal deal, so Chelsea paid just £5m, but to sweeten the deal handed over their own left-back, William Gallas, who had the best years of his career behind him.
Cole went onto to win everything with Chelsea, while Gallas endured a rocky time at Arsenal, given the captaincy and then stripped of it, eventually ending up at fierce rivals Spurs.
Ashley Cole and William Gallas traded places in one of the more infamous swap deals
Arthur Melo to Juventus – Miralem Pjanic to Barcelona (2020)
In 2020, after lockdown, both clubs were in serious financial trouble but realised there was a mutually beneficial trade to be had.
Both paid over the odds for each other’s players, which was helpful in being able to present a better balance sheet to the respective governing bodies.
Arthur Melo was a young Brazilian talent who couldn’t get in the team and Pjanic was a Serie A legend who was slowing down with age.
Juventus paid a whopping £72m for Melo, who was arguably worth half of that and Barcelona splashed out £60m for a Pjanic who was hampered by injuries at this point.
Neither set of fans were particularly pleased with the deals and there wasn’t a clear winner here.
Jermaine Defoe to Tottenham – Bobby Zamora to West Ham (2004)
In the summer of 2004, Defoe who was part of the golden age of West Ham’s academy, was outgrowing the Hammers. Martin Jol joined Spurs that summer and saw him as the perfect man to be his No 9.
He helped orchestrate a deal that saw Spurs pay £7m to West Ham and hand over their own young striker Bobby Zamora, who despite being an exciting prospect at Brighton, never really tore up trees at White Hart Lane.
Defoe would go on to score more than 100 goals for Spurs. Zamora wasn’t as much of a hit at West Ham but did score 36 goals in 151 appearances and famously fired them back to the Premier League in the 2005 Championship play-off final.
Jermaine Defoe was a huge hit for Tottenham, scoring more than 100 goals for the club
Michy Batshuayi to Dortmund – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Arsenal – Olivier Giroud to Chelsea (2018)
If a swap deal is unusual, a triple-swap remains a real anomaly.
But that’s what happened in January 2018. Arsenal needed a new star with Sanchez gone, Batshuayi wasn’t getting enough game time at Chelsea and Giroud had looked ready to leave Arsenal for some time.
All three teams would say they were happy with the deals. Despite only playing 10 games for BVB Batshuayi managed seven goals and cost the Germans virtually nothing, Aubameyang was electric for Arsenal and even won the golden boot in the 18/19 season and Giroud won the Europa League, FA cup and the Champions League with Chelsea.
Deco to Barcelona – Ricardo Quaresma to Porto (2004)
After winning player of the tournament in the 2004 Champions League Deco was one of the hottest prospects going, Mourinho tried to convince him to come to Chelsea alongside Porto teammates Ricardo Carvalho and Paulo Ferreria, but the midfielder was drawn to Barca in the end.
Barcelona threw in the young Ricardo Quaresma to get Porto to agree to the deal.
Both Deco and Quaresma flourished at each club with Deco winning the Champions League and Quaresma enjoying some spell-binding seasons in his home country. They both ended up at Chelsea together years later.
Fabio Cannavaro to Juventus – Fabio Carini to Inter Milan (2004)
This one is a bit more niche but interesting. Fabio Carini was a lesser-known Uruguayan goalkeeper who was highly touted but hardly a world beater. Every football fan knows about Cannavaro.
But at the time in 2004, Inter had keeper issues and so thought it would be worth trading their young prospect. This could not have been a worse decision.
Fast-forward just two years and Cannavaro had captained Italy to their fourth world cup and had won the Ballon d’Or. Meanwhile Carini made just 4 appearances in his entire Inter career. It has to go down as the worst swap in history.
Fabio Cannavaro (right), pictured with Monica Bellucci, after winning the Ballon d’Or
Andy Cole to Manchester United – Keith Gillespie to Newcastle (1995)
In 1995 after failed attempts to win the Premier League under Kevin Keegan, Newcastle were slowly falling backwards and one of their most notable departures of this period was English striker Andy Cole.
Sir Alex Ferguson brought him to Old Trafford and in exchange gave Newcastle £6m plus winger, Keith Gillespie.
Cole went onto to win everything at United, Gillespie just the opposite on Tyneside.
Joao Cancelo to Manchester City – Danilo to Juventus (2019)
Finishing with a Premier League one and a deal that is one of the more underrated swaps in recent memory. Cancelo at the time had just completed an excellent first season at Juventus and Danilo after winning the title with City in 2018 and 2019 was slowing down.
Guardiola, knowing he had to replace him went for Cancelo who was excellent for City, winning everything in his time there, where he played both right-back and left-back getting into the FIFA Team of The Year in 2022.
Danilo was a success at Juventus too, winning the Scudetto in his first year there and playing 156 games over six years.
