Recently, TEAMtalk linked Aston Villa with a move for James McCarthy, suggesting they would have to battle Celtic and Burnley for his signature.
Dean Smith has given John McGinn, Ross Barkley, Douglas Luiz and Conor Hourihane regular playing time in midfield this season but could benefit from replacing Marvelous Nakamba and Henri Lansbury, who are both surplus to requirements.
McCarthy has made 40 appearances in all competitions for Crystal Palace since joining the Eagles from Everton in August 2019.
He has been a regular for Roy Hodgson’s side this season, making five Premier League appearances, winning six aerial duels, blocking six shots/passes, making seven clearances and averaging either a tackle (11) or interception (five) every 21 minutes.
The Republic of Ireland international has won more tackles than McGinn (seven) and Luiz (eight), so he could be a useful addition if he ends up at Villa Park.
READ ASTON VILLA VERDICT
McCarthy’s market value is £4.05m with Transfermarkt and €2m-€4m (£1.8m-£3.6m) with CIES Football Observatory, so he shouldn’t break the bank. It just remains to be seen whether the Villans will make a move in January.
Lansbury hasn’t made a single appearance in the Premier League this season while Nakamba has only amassed 13 top-flight minutes (Transfermarkt), so the pair will need replacing sooner rather than later.
In other news, some Villa fans criticised one player after his “embarrassing” moment in Monday’s defeat to West Ham.
