West Bromwich Albion’s new manager Sam Allardyce is set to enquire over the possibility of taking Andy Carroll to The Hawthorns in the January transfer window, according to The Mirror [via The Sun].
Carroll has endured a difficult period at Newcastle since he returned to St James’ Park in the summer of 2018, as the 31-year-old has been impacted by injury issues and also the form of others. That has seen him limited to just 26 Premier League appearances since he rejoined the club. and he has also failed to register a single goal in any of his 30 matches in all competitions for the Magpies (Sofascore).
It has been reported that Carroll has become frustrated at the lack of game time he has been given by Steve Bruce, and he was not happy about being left out of the Magpies’ squad for their recent 5-2 defeat at Leeds United. The powerful forward has just six months remaining on his current £75,000-a-week deal at St James’ Park and could therefore sign a pre-contract deal elsewhere in January.
It is believed that Allardyce will enquire with Bruce over his potential availability next month and that West Brom will aim to tempt the Magpies into sanctioning an exit for him with a small offer which would avoid them losing him for free in the summer, as reported by The Sunday Mirror (20/12/2020, p73).
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Carroll’s return to St James’ Park always seemed to be a move done more in hope than expectation. The 31-year-old’s initial impact around the dressing room and on the training ground was praised by Bruce, who described the target man as being a player who ‘leads from the front‘. However, subsequent injury issues and a lack of end product when he has played has limited his impact.
Carroll is at the age where he will want to play regular football as often as his own fitness allow, and it is clear that he is now behind the likes of Callum Wilson, Dwight Gayle and Joelinton in the Newcastle pecking order. That was made evident by his omission from the squad for the trip to Leeds despite being without a number of other players.
Allardyce worked with Carroll at both Newcastle and West Ham and may well be keen on rekindling that relationship. West Brom did not have a lot of money to spend in the summer, and the 31-year-old would be a potentially cheap option for the Baggies to go for, so this move certainly seems a discernible possibility.
