Newcastle have failed with a potential Championship record £16m bid for Everton midfielder James McCarthy, according to The Daily Mail.
Rafa Benitez’s side are currently second in England’s second tier and the Spaniard is keen to bolster the Newcastle squad before the transfer window closes on Tuesday night with one eye on Premier League football next season.
The Magpies already have one of the best squads in the Championship but that has not stopped them eye further reinforcements this month, with a deal to bring Andros Townsend to St. James’ Park also in mind.
However, it has now been revealed that Newcastle have had a staggering league record bid for McCarthy turned down by Everton and told the Ireland international is not for sale at any price this month.
Ronald Koeman spent £20m to sign Morgan Schneiderlin from Manchester United earlier this month, while academy graduate Tom Davies has also made himself a key player for the club in recent months.
McCarthy only signed a five-year deal with Everton in 2015 but has struggled to overcome a troublesome hamstring injury that has limited his involvement to just eight appearances in the Premier League this season.
The 26-year-old has been one of Everton’s most consistent performers in the middle of the park since he joined from Wigan in 2014 and the Toffees are not interested in losing the steely midfielder despite the fact he is no longer guaranteed a starting spot in Ronald Koeman’s midfield.
Everton has missed McCarthy’s tenacity in midfield at times this season, which is highlighted by the fact only Gareth Barry (21) has picked up more yellow cards in the last three Premier League campaigns than McCarthy (14).
For more stats on James McCarthy, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
