Do Allardyce’s comments about McCarthy mean Everton will sell Besic?

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Sam Allardyce was delighted with James McCarthy’s display for Everton against Manchester United – does that mean Muhamed Besic will finally be sold?

Wayne Rooney is replaced by James McCarthy during the Premier League match between Everton and Manchester United.

Sam Allardyce heaped praise on midfielder James McCarthy for his performance against Manchester United in the Premier League, despite Everton losing the match 2-0.

Allardyce described McCarthy – who was making only his third appearance of the season due to injuries – as a “shining light” during his 28-minute cameo at Goodison Park.

Sam Allardyce, manager of Everton, passes the ball back to Victor Lindelof of Manchester United during the Premier League match at Goodison Park.

“We recovered from going a goal down with our substitutes and James McCarthy for me was the shining light of the recovery – because he actually went and tackled somebody and showed the rest of our team how to we had to go about our job in shutting Manchester United down,” the 63-year-old told the Liverpool Echo.

McCarthy has only played 16 matches in total since the start of the 2016/17 campaign as fitness issues have blighted his Toffees career of late, but clearly Allardyce rates the Republic of Ireland international highly.

With Tom Davies, Idrissa Gueye and Morgan Schneiderlin also options in central midfield, and Sevilla’s Steven N’Zonzi linked with a move to Merseyside by the Liverpool Echo, has time run out for Muhamed Besic at the club?

Everton’s Muhamed Besic (R) fights for the ball against Apollon Limassol’s Nicolas Martinez during the UEFA Europa League group stage football match.

The Mirror claimed in December that Allardyce was looking to move on Besic, who has only made eight first team appearances this term and 56 in total since a switch from Hungarian side Ferencvaros in the summer of 2014.

With so many options ahead of the 25-year-old and now McCarthy impressing so much, surely the January transfer window will see the Bosnia and Herzegovina international leave?