West Brom manager Tony Pulis has made Everton midfielder James McCarthy his number one target in January, reports the Mail on Sunday.
McCarthy’s future has been the subject of intense speculation in recent weeks with manager Ronald Koeman keen to overhaul the squad in the New Year.
The Republic of Ireland international is one of those rumoured to be available for transfer, with Pulis set to make another move for the midfielder next month.
West Brom saw a £15m move for McCarthy fall through over the summer and they could return for the former Wigan man, though they do accept they face competition for his signature.
McCarthy isn’t Pulis’ only midfield target in January, however, with the Baggies boss reportedly keen on offering Morgan Schneiderlin an escape route out of Old Trafford.
The Frenchman has registered just 11 minutes of Premier League action this season and was left out of the travelling squad when Manchester United overcame Zorya on Thursday night.
Like Schneiderlin, 27, McCarthy has also struggled for minutes this season, in part owing to injury, meaning the 26-year-old has made just four league starts under Koeman, though played the full 90 minutes in Saturday’s 3-2 defeat at Watford.
For more stats on James McCarthy, click here to view his WhoScored player page
