Premier League interest in Everton midfielder

Everton midfielder James McCarthy is reportedly interesting Premier League strugglers Fulham.

The Irishman has not played a minute of competitive football for the Blues since he suffered a double leg break against West Bromwich Albion in January, and according to Bleacher Report’s Dean Jones, the Cottagers are keen on signing him in the January transfer window:

Since returning from his harrowing setback, the injury-prone central midfielder has fallen way down the pecking order, with Idrissa Gueye, André Gomes, Tom Davies and Morgan Schneiderlin all seemingly ahead of him.

He resumed training in September, but Toffees boss Marco Silva has yet to name him in a matchday squad other than November’s friendly against Gor Mahia, in which McCarthy played half an hour.

Fulham spent heavily on central midfielders in the summer on Jean Michaël Seri and André-Frank Zambo Anguissa, but both have failed to settle.

McCarthy, on the other hand, would provide an abundance of Premier League experience, having played top-flight football in England every season since joining Wigan Athletic in the summer of 2009.

Making the reverse switch to McCarthy could be the Cottagers’ top scorer, Aleksandar Mitrović, who has been linked this week with a January move to Goodison Park.

Fellow Premier League outfit Newcastle United have also been said to be interested in McCarthy recently.

Despite Silva yet to offer McCarthy any competitive game time this season, the Portuguese manager hinted to evertontv that he may get a chance to impress over the hectic Christmas period:

“James is progressing. He was in the squad list against Newcastle and deserved that. I think he is a fantastic professional.

“He is getting better. I know games will give him a better condition, but we are playing tough, tough matches and it is not easy to give him what everybody knows will help him get better, which is minutes in those games.

“But he is a worker and I really like him. He works really hard every day to achieve the best physical condition. He enjoys what he is doing.

“His teammates like him for the fantastic professional and very good player he is.”