According to a report on Daily Mail, Bournemouth are interested in acquiring the services of Everton’s James McCarthy.
The report further states that the Cherries are set to lock horns with Fulham, Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion in order to secure a loan deal for McCarthy.
James McCarthy: Profile
Having emerged through the youth ranks of Scottish side Hamilton Academical, McCarthy made nearly a century of appearances for them before switching to the ranks of Wigan Athletic in the summer of 2009.
He won the 2012-13 FA Cup with the Latics and then moved to the Goodison Park during the summer transfer window of 2013. He managed to impress during Roberto Martinez’s reign at Everton and was touted for great things.
However, injuries have had a significant say in derailing his career to a considerable extent. The Republic of Ireland international hasn’t played a Premier League game since suffering a horrific leg break in January 2018.
Despite being fit once again, he hasn’t been able to make room for himself in the tactical nous of Everton’s manager Marco Silva. A move to a new club, even on loan, could help him in bringing his career back on the right track.
Why do Bournemouth need to sign him?
Bournemouth have been good in patches but have failed to build momentum. Having collected 27 points from 21 league games so far, they are 12th in the league standings. Eddie Howe will be disappointed at a number of missed opportunities wherein the Cherries have failed to convert their performances into points.
Notably, they have failed to register a win in any of their last 8 games across all competitions. Eddie Howe’s camp has already signed Nathaniel Clyne and Dominic Solanke from Liverpool, but they do need more reinforcements.
Howe is missing several of his key players due to injuries, and this might be a reason behind their recent results which has taken away the sheen from the early season performances. He has strengthened the defence and his attack, but with the likes of Lewis Cook and Dan Gosling injured, it makes sense to bring a midfield option onboard.
They have been susceptible at the centre of the pitch and have failed to provide solidity, leaving the defence exposed on more than one occasion.
Therefore, it would make a lot of sense in such a situation to sign someone like McCarthy who has considerable Premier League experience under his belt. McCarthy is a disciplined central midfielder whose work-rate and dedication is unquestionable. His aggression and agility is something which the Cherries lack at the moment.
The detractors can well point towards his last two injury-ravaged seasons as a major issue in this move. The former Wigan star has totalled just 818 minutes of Premier League action in the last two and a half seasons and as mentioned above, has been out since last January.
But before his injury, in the 2015-16 season, McCarthy was a regular feature in the midfield for the Toffees clocking 2435 minutes in 29 appearances. He had two assists and 2 goals along with an 87% pass accuracy which signifies his ability to recycle possession in the middle of the park.
The midfielder certainly has got what it takes, and if he can convince Howe of his fitness, this is a move which is likely to pay dividends in the near future.
Stats Courtesy: Whoscored
