IRELAND UNDER-21 international James McCarthy appeared to be heading out of Hamilton Academical last night as a string of English clubs sent representatives to watch him play against Falkirk and his agent had his bail conditions altered to be able to travel for meetings with would-be buyers.
One Scottish football agent, Willie McKay, confirmed that the race to sign the 18-year-old midfielder has accelerated considerably since Portsmouth had an offer of some €550,000 dismissed by McCarthy’s club.
McCarthy, though, has been represented for some time by Braveheart Promotions, a company owned by Barry Hughes, a former fighter turned sports agent who is currently on bail awaiting trial for attempted murder. Under the terms of Hughes’ bail, he was bound to observe a curfew between 7pm and 7am, but the terms have apparently been relaxed after a court was told the restrictions were preventing the 30-year-old from travelling for talks with a number of clubs, said to include Cardiff City and Tottenham Hotspur.
McCarthy, who was named last week as the Scottish PFA’s Young Player of the Year, has been linked with some of Europe’s biggest clubs, and Liverpool were reported to have inquired about the teenager last year.
Hamilton, though, confirmed that Portsmouth’s was the first written offer they had received.
