OPINION
Central midfield has been a bit of a thorn in West Bromwich Albion manager Darren Moore’s side so far this season.
The Baggies aren’t a young team in general, but in central midfield they’re positively ancient. Chris Brunt, James Morrison and Gareth Barry are just three of the thirty somethings manning the middle of midfield for Moore’s team this campaign.
The club’s reported interest in Everton midfielder James McCarthy is just what the doctor ordered, then, for a team that needs fresh legs in the middle of the park.
Sky Sports reported on Thursday that West Brom are interested in bringing the Toffees star to the Hawthorns on loan, with midfield cover an express target in the January transfer window for Moore.
The team’s need for reinforcements in that area of the pitch was only exacerbated by the red card suffered by Jake Livermore against Blackburn Rovers last time out, which has netted the former England international a four match ban.
McCarthy wouldn’t just be a fill-the-gap type of purchase, though. The Irishman is a top level operator who, until he suffered a compound fracture of his right leg against the Baggies last January, was performing extremely well in the Premier League.
Everton boss Marco Silva is yet to give McCarthy any first team football since his return to full fitness, and the Baggies could profit from the Portuguese’s ambivalence.
The 28-year-old has the legs to really shore up the middle of the field for West Brom, providing the industriousness that would allow fine passers of the ball like Brunt and Barry to do their best work.
He is a box to box central midfielder, something which the Baggies don’t really have, and he would instantly give Moore’s team a bit of Premier League quality.
There are risks in regards to his injury flaring up again, but a loan move would negate any such worries from a West Brom perspective.
This is a no brainer of a move which could see West Brom take a huge step towards a top flight return which is so desperately coveted.