Four years after joining Everton, James McCarthy could be on his way out the door at Goodison Park.
The Ireland midfielder started just seven games in the Premier League last season through a mixture of persistent injuries and a failure to find the favour of new manager Ronald Koeman.
McCarthy is not part of Martin O'Neill's squad for Sunday's game against Austria due to injury.
According to the Daily Mail, there is interest in the Premier League for the 26-yar-old from West Brom.
Tony Pulis is apparently looking to replace the presence of Darren Fletcher in his midfield and eyes McCarthy as the man to do so. Fletcher left the Hawthorns on a free transfer to Stoke last week. Pulis has reportedly made an enquiry to Everton regarding McCarthy.
McCarthy could cost West Brom in the region of £20 million to £25 million, a fee which at its top end could nearly double the £13 million Everton paid Wigan for the player in 2013. The money would help Everton finance the acquisition of Gylfi Sigurdsson from Swansea.
There is also news about McCarthy's Ireland teammate Daryl Murphy. After helping Newcastle to back to the Premier League, the 34-year-old is now apparently surplus to requirements for Rafa Benitez. Murphy made the move to St. James' Park from Ipswich last August on a two-year deal.
As Benitez looks to offload some fringe squad players to raise funds for the summer, Murphy, along with Grant Hanley, could be one of those to leave.
Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
