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Aston Villa have looked into the possibility of signing Everton midfielder James McCarthy.

The 26-year-old Republic Of Ireland international has recently been brought back into the Toffees squad by Ronald Koeman after a hamstring injury.

The Daily Mail are today reporting that the Villa are keen on adding him to their squad in the January transfer window.

McCarthy signed for Everton for £13m in 2014, his fee would be considerably lower now.

However, during this window, he is likely to be out of Villa's league.

Qualities

The ex-Wigan ace brings consistency to his performances and can be relied upon in either a midfield two or three. McCarthy is technically gifted but also knows how to defend. He is energetic and can also play the box-to-box role if required. You won’t see McCarthy dazzling opponents with silky skills or topping the goalscoring charts but his team-mates certainly appreciate the role he plays.

Background

McCarthy was born in Glasgow and raised as a Celtic fan. He made his debut for Hamilton Academical at the age of 16 and progressed through the Republic of Ireland youth ranks before earning his first full cap in 2010.

The midfielder moved to Wigan in 2009, just after Steve Bruce had left for Sunderland. He would go on to win the FA Cup in 2013 before linking up with his old boss Roberto Martinez again at Everton after securing a £13m move.