Wigan’s McCarthy may not be reuniting with Martinez after all.
Tottenham Hotspur are prepared to go as high as £20m to sign Wigan Athletic midfielder James McCarthy, meaning Everton will be out-priced for their target, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Having moved from the DW Stadium to the Toffees this summer, manager Roberto Martinez is understandably keen to bring McCarthy with him to Goodison Park.
The Spaniard has already brought Arouna Kone, Antolin Alcaraz and Joel Robles to the club – who all played under Martinez at Wigan last season – and now wants the 22-year-old as well.
It’s thought that whilst the 39-year-old is fairly happy with the cover Everton have in most areas of the pitch, central midfield is a concern for the boss; particularly with the ongoing speculation that Marouane Felliani will join either Arsenal or Manchester United this summer.
Although Kone, Shaun Maloney and Callum McManaman were all expected to leave the relegated Latics for Premier League sides this transfer window, it was McCarthy who stood out as a real top talent.
The Irishman has impressed greatly since moving to England from Hamilton four years ago and has gone onto make 127 appearances since – as well as being instrumental in Wigan’s shock 1-0 FA Cup final victory over Manchester City in May.
The Toffees thought the lure of Martinez would be enough to bring the midfielder to Merseyside, but with Spurs happy to pay £20m for the Republic of Ireland international (who has 15 caps for the nation), the club would be simply out-priced.
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