James McCarthy revealed his love for Celtic this morning.
James McCarthy made headlines this morning for revealing his love for Celtic.
The Glasgow-born midfielder grew up following the Hoops and admitted via The Record that he always wanted to play in an Old Firm derby against Rangers.
The Republic of Ireland international was available for transfer this past summer, and were Celtic wrong to not try and lure him back to Scotland?
McCarthy left Everton to join Crystal Palace in a £3 million deal [BBC Sport].
That’s peanuts for an experienced and very talented Premier League player, a fee that Neil Lennon could’ve easily afforded.
It’s also worth pointing out that Celtic need a McCarthy-type figure in midfield. There’s a period in each and every season when Scott Brown’s form dips a little and the question is asked whether he’s finished as a Premiership player.
He bounces back every single time, but one day he won’t. Brown turns 35 in June and it’s only right that the Bhoys try and sign a long-term replacement as soon as possible.
That replacement could and would have been John McGinn if not for a series of silly bids during the summer of 2018.
McCarthy is three years older than McGinn, but he’s also six years younger than Brown.
The Crystal Palace midfielder still has a lot to offer and, for £3 million, it makes you wonder why Celtic weren’t in the mix. He clearly would have considered a move to Parkhead, based on his recent comments.
Brown isn’t going to be around forever and missing out on McGinn was bad enough, but the fact they didn’t even seem interested in McCarthy might be a tad questionable.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
