Newcastle United have had a roller coaster ride in the Championship after being relegated from the Premier League. With around two-third of the campaign done and dusted, the Magpies sit tight at the second spot in the league table and if it continues to stay the same, they will be promoted back to the top tier. Quite simple, isn’t it? Well, no. Rafael Benitez is facing a bit of crisis with injuries and suspensions at the moment, which is certainly going to leave him with headaches apparently.
Newcastle United cannot blow up all they have garnered so far. Benitez’s outfit have shown their grit and resilience despite being knocked off the perch but the chequered flag is still far from their sight. The January transfer window will be an essential one for them and owing to the needs of the side. Newcastle United are linked to James McCarthy of Everton in their pursuit of bolstering the resilience in the middle of the park. Will it be wise to move McCarthy away from the Merseyside and bound him to St. James’ Park?
The 26-year-old was central to the plans of Everton’s ex-manager Roberto Martinez who brought him from Wigan Athletic. However, ever since Ronald Koeman’s reign kicked off, he has found opportunities hard to come by and has seen his stocks fall consistently. So far this season, he has mustered merely eight appearances and no wonder why he would not love to manoeuvre a new venture in his career. And let’s not forget that the Toffees have acquired the services of Morgan Schneiderlin from Manchester United a few days back, implying that McCarthy will be pushed further below in the pecking order.
On the other side of the shore, Benitez is in a dire need of chalking out a formidable partnership at the centre of midfield, and with Jonjo Shelvey being the one who would launch forward when needed, someone like McCarthy is preferred to stay back and break the counters from the opponents. The Republic of Ireland international will help Benitez as he eyes a return to the Premier League with the Toons.
The midfielder has been a seasonal campaigner, and despite not being a lethal player while going forward, he balances the equation with his stupendous defensive traits like precise positional sense, amazing tackling and interception techniques, has the stamina to toil relentlessly and reads the game impeccably well. Benitez aspiring for getting McCarthy is a no brainer and considering the situation that has been developing, it would not be very hard for them to get their target.
