Three reasons James McCarthy to West Ham could happen

West Ham continue to be linked with midfield options as the January transfer window has begun. With the midfield being currently missing three first-team players the links make sense, but does the player fit with the team? Here are three reasons why it could go down.

The player in question is Everton and Irish international James McCarthy, a 28-year-old midfielder who has been with the Toffee’s for five years after a move from Wigan. Any link to a midfielder technically makes sense for the Irons, I mean they need a midfielder, but a loan move for McCarthy is an interesting one.

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In my eyes, there are three reasons this link could be realistic:

1- James McCarthy is a Premier League proven player.

McCarthy joined Everton in 2013 from Wigan for a relatively big price tag (£13m) after impressing as a young star. Having over 100 Premier League matches under his belt by the time he was 22 and bought by Everton, McCarthy has more than doubled this in the next five years. This current season and the 2017/18 season have been mired by injury, cutting this total shorter than it should be.

Manuel Pellegrini has notably brought in/promoted youth players and insulated them with veteran talent in the team: ie. signings of Diop, 21, and Balbuena 27, or promoting Declan Rice, 19, while signing Carlos Sanchez, 32. There is a clear method to Pellegrini’s plan and at just 28 years of age, McCarthy offers a mix of both – years left to play, but hundreds of Premier League games of experience.

2- Pedro Obiang could be on his way out.

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And would you blame him? It seems like Obiang is maybe the Hammers’ most overlooked player. If any midfield option returns to the team it’s Obiang’s spot that gets sacrificed first. Wilshere’s two brief sub appearances were ahead of Obiang, Noble’s return to the midfield surpassed Obiang, and Snodgrass’ application in the middle of the pitch saw Obiang benched too.

He hasn’t done anything to stand out over Rice (obviously) and can’t provide the heart that Noble brings. Also, with Wilshere and Lanzini set to return to the team within the next two months, games will be even harder to come by for Obiang. He is wanted by Sampdoria of Serie A, and a move back to Italy seems plausible if not likely. McCarthy would be a fine replacement as a loanee should he depart.

3- Gary Medel isn’t as close as we may think it is.

West Ham’s earliest verified link to a midfielder was with Besiktas’ renaissance man Gary Medel. The links sort of brought up similar reactions to the Carlos Sanchez signing. He’s old, he doesn’t offer much going forward, and the idea that these funds could be going elsewhere is more appetizing than this signing. That being said, this reaction has been dampened by the success Pellegrini’s signings have had thus far.

The facts are that Medel provides cover for midfield as well as right-back, he is Chilean as is Pellegrini, and he is a veteran player. The hang up with this move is that West Ham would be buying a 31-year-old player with a contract that doesn’t expire until the end of next season. The commitment to this player may be a deterrent as well as a fee that could price West Ham out of other moves in this window.

Overall, I would welcome a move for the once highly rated midfielder. The loan option is key here as West Ham wouldn’t feel obligated to play him over their own players, and could negotiate a buy option if they believed he could be a long-term fit. Also, I do think Obiang will leave West Ham, whether in January or the summer, so replacing a veteran with a veteran makes sense.

Next. Aaron Ramsey too much of a longshot option for West Ham. dark

There are down downsides to this move, like his injury history including his current rehab status after a double broken leg he earned making a terrific tackle on Salomon Rondon. He also could be taking the place for academy prospects Powell or Coventry in the squad. Despite these issues, the addition of McCarthy could be a solid move to strengthening West Ham’s squad with another upside player.

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