Tim Cahill left the Premier League in July, but a number of teams are already jockeying to bring him back.
The veteran midfielder now plays for Major League Soccer’s (MLS) New York Red Bulls, but his former club, Everton FC, is one of five Premier League clubs interested in signing him on loan in January, according to the Press Association.
“A return to Goodison Park seemed his most likely destination but Sunderland, Newcastle, Tottenham and QPR are also interested in signing the Australia international,” the report says.
Cahill joined the Red Bulls from Everton last summer. He played 14 games for the Major League Soccer (MLS) club, scoring once. The Red Bulls were eliminated from the MLS playoffs in the Eastern Conference semifinals (the last eight of the competition).
Shortly afterwards, Cahill indicated that he was interested in a returning to the Premier League on a short-term loan, the Mirror reports.
“With my move, the main thing is that I get to enjoy the MLS, but I also get the chance of going back to the Premier League and playing in the best league in the world,” he said. “I am eager to come back and, hopefully, something can be done with Everton.”
Last month, new Red Bulls sporting director Andy Roxburgh said that no club had contacted him about signing Cahill, but it’s possible that things have progressed since then.
For eight years, Cahill was one of Everton’s standout players. He scored 56 goals in 226 games, becoming a fan favorite in the process.
Sunderland and QPR are struggling mightily this season, and they could have a bigger need for an experienced attacking player than the other clubs.
The 2013 MLS season begins on March 2. Should Cahill return to the Premier League, it’s more than likely that he his loan would end in late February.
Have a question for Marcus Kwesi O’Mard? Send it to him via Twitter at @NESNsoccer, NESN Soccer’s Facebook page or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.
Photo via Facebook/Tim Cahill – legend
