Winner named in Everton transfer battle for young defender - report

Hull City have won the race to sign Everton transfer target Cathal McCarthy, the Irish Mirror reports.

According to the news outlet’s website [10 December], the 18-year-old will join the Championship outfit in January and will be immediately loaned back to University College Dublin to complete his leaving certificate.

The report mentions that Everton were eyeing the young defender, as were Fulham, Derby County, Norwich City and Millwall.

Everton are interested in bringing in a defender to bolster the defence in January [Alan Myers], but will now be forced to move on to alternative options after missing out on a highly-coveted prospect who could have been viewed as a long-term successor to Jarrad Branthwaite.

Cathal McCarthy chooses Hull City over Everton

Hull have pulled off a remarkable feat, thwarting interest from the Blues and Fulham alongside the aforementioned Championship trio to secure McCarthy’s signature.

The decision ultimately came down to which of the interested parties offered the more sure-fire path to the first team.

McCarthy can hardly be blamed for viewing the Tigers as a more attractive landing spot for his development over the Toffees.

Jake O’Brien is a prime example – the 23-year-old has struggled to break into the starting lineup since his summer acquisition from Lyon.

Therefore, The Friedkin Group has yet another in a long list of problems that need to be addressed when the proposed takeover is complete – Everton cannot continue to lose out on highly rated prospects, particularly to second-tier sides.

For a young defender to make waves playing his football in the Republic of Ireland is some achievement – the Blues know all too well how successful a move for a talented Irish defender can be as Seamus Coleman has cemented himself as a legend on the blue half of Merseyside.

Kevin Thelwell will now have to go back to the drawing board at Goodison Park, but it is still a positive sign for the supporters to see Everton future-planning the side as the wait for the completion of the takeover rages on.

In other Everton news, the Blues’ relegation chances have been updated by a supercomputer after the Liverpool clash was postponed.

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