Palermo are preparing a swoop for Irish teen sensation James McCarthy from Hamilton Academical.
The 17-year-old was instrumental in his club’s ascendancy to the Scottish Premier League and only signed a three-year contract in May.
However, he is expected to move on with Manchester United and Liverpool already showing an interest.
The chances of first team football there are slim, so McCarthy could be tempted to join the Serie A mid-table side in Sicily.
Palermo President Maurizio Zamparini has commented on his own bid for the Irish international, who was born in Scotland but elected to play for the Republic of Ireland.
“We have been following James for some time,” Zamparini told the Daily Record.
“We know all about his capabilities as a player. We have been told that his value has risen to around £4m, but we have made Hamilton an offer based on what we are prepared to pay.”
The creative midfielder already has an Italian connection, as he made his Under-17s debut against the Azzurri in January 2007 and is due a promotion into Giovanni Trapattoni’s senior squad.
