James McCarthy's time at Everton is almost certainly up.
He was not included in yesterday's squad which played Stoke, though that was down to a groin injury. It also an injury which will keep him out of Ireland's opening World Cup qualifier against Serbia on September 5th.
McCarthy has made two starts for Everton in the league. Though, in the second game, against West Brom, he was substituted after 38 minutes. That decision led many to presume McCarthy had fallen out of favour with new Everton manager Ronald Koeman.
According to Daily Mail, McCarthy has felt the cold shoulder of Koeman and realised he will have to leave Goodison Park for regular first team football. Simon Jones reports that the 25-year-old held a meeting with the Everton hierarchy on Friday to express his desire to depart if regular football for the club was not in his future.
There's also word on who is interested in McCarthy. Newcastle head the queue and are willing to pay the £20 million which Everton apparently want for the midfielder. Though it would initially be a step down the football ladder, Newcastle are almost certainly going to be back in the Premier League next season.
If McCarthy did join Newcastle, he would be the third recent Irish acquisition for Rafa Benitez. The Spaniard signed Ciaran Clark from Aston Villa earlier this month and Daryl Murphy, who has handed in a transfer request at Ipswich, is almost certainly heading to St. James Park too.
Leicester, Sunderland and Palace are also 'strongly' interested in McCarthy according to the Mail. Obviously, a move to Leicester - who see McCarthy as an alternative option should they not acquire Steven N'Zonzi - would mean Champions League football. That is something Irish footballers have been lacking in recent years.
Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
