Rumours have arisen that Aston Villa could move for Premier League midfielder James McCarthy.
According to the Birmingham Mail, Villa are in the process of tabling a £5 million bid for the Crystal Palace midfielder. The Irishman reportedly only has one year left on his contract, despite having only joined in 2019.
Aston Villa Linked to James McCarthy
What Would McCarthy Bring to Villa?
The Republic of Ireland international would add some much-needed experience to what was a naive Villa side last term, and could be a smart bit of business for Dean Smith’s side.
McCarthy represents a clear change in Villa’s transfer policy with the arrival of new Sporting Director Johan Lange. According to Gregg Evans, of The Athletic, Villa are focusing on “tried and trusted players from the English game.”
During their £140 million rebuild last summer, only Tom Heaton and Matt Targett had any real Premier League experience.
McCarthy fits that bill perfectly. He has played a combined 256 games for Everton, Wigan Athletic and now Crystal Palace, winning 85, drawing 69 and losing 102. He has played a key role in Roy Hodgson’s Palace side, featuring 33 times during the 2019/20 season.
A Solid Midfielder for the Villains
Not only has he played in over 200 Premier League games, but he also has a tackle success rating of 73% over those games and has recovered the ball 1,272 times. When out of possession he could be vital in winning possession and getting Villa back up the pitch.
While there are certainly other areas Villa will need to strengthen; central midfield was an area they were overrun for much of last season, especially during John McGinn’s three-month-long lay-off. McCarthy could not only add strength to their midfield but also depth to a squad that was severely limited last term.
He may also replace the struggling Marvelous Nakamba who, according to the Birmingham Mail and Turkish news outlet Fotomac, has been linked with Turkish side Trabzonspor.
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