Ronald Koeman has explained to the Daily Mirror why he did not allow James McCarthy to leave during the transfer window. The Dutchman reportedly did not sanction an £15 million sale of the player because he sees him as forming a key role in the Everton team which he hopes to see challenging for trophies.
Many speculated that McCarthy would be leaving Everton during the January transfer window due to his lack of game time as Newcastle were reportedly very keen on landing him and due to the fact that Morgan Schneiderlin arriving from Manchester United.
According to reports, Koeman was unimpressed with McCarthy when he was appointed as manager of Everton, but this was apparently due to injuries which the player picked up whilst on duty for the Republic of Ireland and not due to his qualities as a player.
Explaining why McCarthy did not leave, Koeman said, “I see him having a long-term future here because I think he is a really good player and those players we need for the future of Everton.
“We need competition in the midfield and that is what I mentioned to the board of the club. There is no possibility for one of the midfielders to go – yes for Darron Gibson, because there was too much competition for him, but not for James.”
Koeman even believes that Schneiderlin and McCarthy can form a key partnership in the Everton midfield going forward.
