Ruairi Daly 
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Celtic have been linked with Everton midfielder James McCarthy after securing their place in the Champions League.
The Irish international has fallen out of favour under new boss Ronald Koeman, and is surplus to requirement at the Premier League side.
According to the Daily Mail, Celtic would be interested in acquiring his services on loan for the season and will battle a number of Premier League clubs to sign him.
Growing up as a Celtic fan, McCarthy had trials with the Hoops youth teams, but didn’t make the cut due to the number of players already taken on by the club.
He began his professional career at Hamilton Academical, making his competitive debut in 2006, before moving to the Premier League in 2013 to Wigan Athletic.
Brendan Rodgers is reportedly looking to sign the 25-year-old from his former Merseyside rivals, and add the quality needed in midfield to compete in the Champions League.
Having represented his country at the European Championships over the summer, the midfielder could be lured by the prospect of European football at Paradise.
McCarthy has made 115 appearances for Everton since signing from Wigan in 2013, and has scored five goals and provided nine assists.
The midfielder is contracted with Everton until the summer of 2020, so an initial one-year loan would make sense for both parties as the asking price from Everton is thought to be £15 million.
Eric Knott 
