James McCarthy is in demand despite his Crystal Palace struggles, with Premier League duo Newcastle United and Aston Villa linked.
Aston Villa and Newcastle United have made enquiries about James McCarthy, according to TEAMtalk, with his disappointing spell at Crystal Palace set to come to a premature end.
It feels like light years ago since Roberto Martinez’s thrilling Everton side were pushing hard for a place in the top four, with a fresh faced McCarthy emerging as one of the Premier League’s most impressive all-action midfielders.
A series of unfortunate injuries have left the Ireland international’s career a classic case of ‘what could’ve been’ with the now-29-year-old struggling to make an impact since moving to Selhurst Park. McCarthy is now expected to bid farewell to Crystal Palace after five underwhelming months.
But, despite making just 11 top flight starts since the beginning of the 2016/17 season, the former Wigan star still has plenty of suitors quieting up to offer him a fresh start.
Aston Villa and Newcastle have joined Burnley and Bournemouth in the race, according to TEAMtalk, with all four clubs asking how much the Eagles would be willing to sell the player for in January.
Villa have been linked with McCarthy for a number of years and, if he can stay fit, the tough-tackling enforcer could fill the void created by John McGinn’s ill-timed injury. His Premier League experience would also be beneficial to a team full of first division debutants.
Newcastle, meanwhile, were interested in McCarthy when he was rated at £20 million in 2017, as reported by the Mail, with a steady and reliable operator looking like a typical Steve Bruce signing.
Whether owner Mike Ashley is willing to sanction a move for an injury-prone 29-year-old, however, is another matter altogether.
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