Celtic's worrying dip in form continues after they were unable to hold onto their lead over Livingston last night. To make matters worse, Scott Brown is now looking at a suspension following his second half sending off.

The Hoops are in desperate need of recruiting once the January transfer window opens. Not only are they heavily leaking goals but they are lacking creativity in their attack and are failing to register wins as of late.

Nick Hammond and co need to strengthen their ranks if they want to chase down Premiership winners-elect Rangers next season. But one target who Celtic have been linked with who wouldn't fit the bill is James McCarthy, who is attracting interest according to Football Insider.

Celtic must avoid moving for McCarthy

According to them, the Glaswegians have registered their interest in the 30-year-old midfielder. However, should they want to pursue a move, they may have to wait until the summer to bring him to Celtic Park.

The Ireland international is out of contract with the Eagles this summer so adding him to the team wouldn't cost Peter Lawwell a penny. All he would have to meet is his handsome £50,000 per week wages. But despite the attraction of signing McCarthy on a free contract, his performances this season have left a lot to be desired.

Compared to Brown, the former Everton man's stats are very disappointing. According to WhoScored, McCarthy averages just 68% accurate passes per match compared to the Celtic captain's 88.8%. The skipper also has a much higher number of key passes, shots per game and interceptions.

So despite the fact that Brown is having a tough time right now, McCarthy is worse off than the struggling veteran. Signing a player of lesser calibre than Brown would prove fruitless for Celtic, who are in dire need of more creative, influential players in the middle of the park.

The Palace ace has only been utilised on seven occasions in the Premier League this season, with just five of those appearances coming as starts, via Transfermarkt. He is clearly not a trusted member of Roy Hodgson's squad and it's likely he won't be offered a new contract before the summer.

Celtic must use their lure as Premiership giants to catch bigger fish than McCarthy, who seems to be more of a convenient option rather than a smart one.

In other news, Scott Brown’s Livi performance may have just numbered his Celtic days...