Everton announced the signing of Fabian Delph on Tuesday night.
The arrival of another midfielder at Goodison Park could push James McCarthy further down the pecking order in Marco Silva’s squad.
Delph has a wealth of English Premier League experience and the England international is unlikely to have moved on from Manchester City’s elite side to sit on the bench, with starting opportunities having already been limited at the Etihad.
Silva appears happy with his new man, talking up the quality that he’ll bring to his first-team.
McCarthy meanwhile looks further away from getting regular action with the Toffees than ever with injury problems blighting his last couple of seasons at the club.
The Republic of Ireland star has managed to make just seven appearances over the last two campaigns and there are serious question marks about his ability to perform at the level Everton require these days.
This week, 90min.com reported that the 28-year-old is a Newcastle United target, with Steve Bruce said to be a fan and keen on his signature if he arrives at St James’ Park as their new manager.
Idrissa Gueye and Andre Gomes were Silva’s go-to picks in the middle of the park last term and with others, such as Tom Davies and Morgan Schneiderlin, also around Goodison Park then in the wake of Delph’s arrival it makes sense that Everton would look to cash in on McCarthy, who has just a year left on his contract.
McCarthy’s initial years at Everton looked promising, but it could finally be the right time to cut ties.
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