Chaos reigned supreme in the final hours of the winter transfer window. Dwight McNeil’s proposed £20m switch from Everton to Crystal Palace imploded. The collapse left the winger stranded on Merseyside. Reports from Sami Mokbel of the BBC show that the two Premier League clubs held completely different stories about what happened.

Everton maintain they performed all their contractual obligations. They had signed the necessary paperwork, but they suddenly could not reach anyone at Selhurst Park. On the flip side, Crystal Palace insisted no total agreement existed. They expressed sympathy for the player’s plight amidst the administrative mess. This breakdown in talks has left the 26-year-old in a tough spot. He now faces a murky future under David Moyes.

It looks like this collapse happened because of other deals moving at the same time. Crystal Palace reportedly tried to restructure the deal into a loan with an obligation to buy. This happened after Jean-Philippe Mateta’s move to AC Milan stalled. This late pivot caused the move to fall apart.

For McNeil, this represents a massive professional blow. He is a former England U21 international who has yet to make it into the senior national team. At 26, he...