Mick McCarthy has backed Newcastle’s Daryl Murphy for a return to Sunderland.
Ipswich Town boss Mick McCarthy has told the East Anglian Daily Times that he thinks Newcastle’s Daryl Murphy will end up joining a club like Sunderland this summer.
Murphy, 34, joined Newcastle last summer as manager Rafael Benitez looked for a proven Championship goalscorer – and the Irishman’s record suggested he could make an impact for the Magpies.
Having hit 50 goals in the previous three Championship seasons, target man Murphy earned his move to Newcastle to compete with Dwight Gayle and Aleksandar Mitrovic, but he struggled for first-team football last term.
Daryl Murphy of Newcastle United scores
Murphy may have scored six goals in all competitions, but he started just nine games in total as he was resigned to a bit-part role at St. James’ Park.
With Newcastle now promoted back to the Premier League and searching for a new striker having missed out on Chelsea youngster Tammy Abraham, Murphy’s future with the club is up in the air.
Many Championship clubs would love to have a proven goalscorer like Murphy, and his former manager Mick McCarthy has been asked about the possibility of reuniting at Ipswich this summer.
McCarthy has told the East Anglian Daily Times that Ipswich essentially can’t afford Murphy’s wages, before predicting that a team like Sunderland – who are currently without a manager – will end up signing Murphy.
“If they (Newcastle) want full recovery of his wages, then no,” said McCarthy. “I would be surprised – if I was the new Sunderland manager I would take him there because he’s living in the North East and he is a very good championship player.”
“Someone of that (Sunderland) ilk, with the ability to pay those sort of wages, will have the ability to do it. I think that’s where he will end up at a club where he’ll be able to command that sort of money,” he added.
Ipswich manager Mick McCarthy
Transfers between rivals Newcastle and Sunderland are rare, and McCarthy’s suggestion would see the striker return to the Stadium of Light for a second spell, having previously hit 14 goals in 124 games for Sunderland.
With Jermain Defoe and Victor Anichebe leaving this summer, Sunderland will need to sign at least one striker this summer, and Murphy could fit the bill – but whether Newcastle would deal with Sunderland, or if the Black Cats’ manager-to-be would want Murphy remain to to be seen.
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