They also reported that Sunderland, Leicester and Crystal Palace were interested in the Republic of Ireland international. But more than two years on, he is still at Goodison Park.
So with the January transfer window set to swing open, Newcastle should roll back the years and revive their interest in McCarthy.
McCarthy would be a great option in midfield
The Magpies aren’t blessed with options in the middle of the park, especially with Isaac Hayden eyeing a move away from the North East.
We’ve got Mo Diame and Jonjo Shelvey who are inconsistent, while Ki Sung-yueng is away at the Asia Cup. Then there’s Sean Longstaff who is untested in the Premier League. So an extra body in the middle would be well received.
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McCarthy is an experienced Premier League player, having played more than 100 league games for both Everton and Wigan. Seen as a more defensive option, the 28-year-old has a good engine and would provide an alternative option to Diame, who has been Newcastle’s go-to defensive midfielder.
Fitness would be an issue
The one stumbling block would be McCarthy’s fitness. The midfielder has been out of action for the past 11 months, suffering a broken leg after an accidental collision with Salomon Rondon back when he was a West Brom player.
Before the leg break, McCarthy had also missed large periods of action due to respective knee and hamstring injuries.
However, Everton boss Marco Silva has confirmed that he is closing in on a comeback.
With the options that the Toffees now have, there may not be room for McCarthy, so Newcastle should test the waters with a bid.
However, I don’t think they should open with £20million like they were reportedly going to in 2016.
