Newcastle are heading for a major transfer disaster by signing Crystal Palace midfielder James McCarthy in the summer.

What's the story?

The Republic of Ireland international's contract at Selhurst Park comes to an end following the conclusion of the Premier League season, and it seems that Steve Bruce is keen on bringing him to Tyneside this summer.

According to TEAMtalk, Newcastle are back on the trail of the 30-year-old and are looking closely at a player who they have followed for a number of years.

Given his contract status, the Magpies would be able to sign him on a free transfer.

Fans will be fuming

Whilst the 30-year-old McCarthy does have plenty of top-flight experience in his time with Wigan, Everton and Crystal Palace (269 Premier League games to be exact), his record with injuries and age just doesn't make this a sensible move whatsoever.

He has a history of significant hamstring injuries and has played just over 3,000 minutes in four years' worth of Premier League football, and it's difficult to see which player in the Newcastle midfield he would actually supplant or who he would supposedly be an upgrade upon.

Add to that his reported £50,000-a-week wages at Selhurst Park, and the chances are that the Magpies will be paying considerable money for a player who is heavily on the decline. They would have got an ageing midfielder, with injury troubles and on big money. Not exactly the greatest of combinations.

Indeed, speaking after a Euro 2016 qualifier against Scotland, former Manchester United midfielder and outspoken pundit Eamon Dunphy slammed the Irishman for his display and his character, saying: "McCarthy is just a talking horse. Horses who are supposed to do great things on the gallops every morning but never produce it on the racecourse. This guy never produces a real performance for Ireland and he rarely produces it for Everton. He’s just no good."

If Newcastle are to take any steps forward and avoid being dragged into relegation battles year upon year, signing players like McCarthy is not the way to go about it.

Numerous Magpies fans made their feelings clear about a potential move for the Irishman back in the summer of 2019 when links emerged at the time, and given that he is now even older, they surely would be just as livid now about him being signed.

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Bruce is headed for a major transfer nightmare if he signs McCarthy.

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