Despite claims over the weekend by the Chronicle that Andy Carroll was set to be offered to Newcastle (again), it doesn't look like the club will be doing business any time soon, given how much Carroll is likely to cost. There had been some speculation that West Ham want to cut their losses on the player, who has had a disappointing time in London after the Hammers "rescued" him from his Liverpool disaster, and that a good deal was there to be done for any interested parties. Inevitably, Newcastle were suggested as the most interested of all potentially interested parties - probably nothing more than a case of two plus two equals column inches - as Mark Douglas claimed that the Magpies would be interested in discussing a move. But as with every deal Newcastle do, affordability is a major obstacle and Carroll would only ever have been signed if he was at a price that reflected value as well as a chance to improve (and once more make selling on for profit an option). Given his current form and injury record, the number that would be good for Newcastle would be significantly less than what West Ham paid for him; but the bad news for anyone hoping that Newcastle do bring him home is that West Ham have already tentatively set a price. In a round of his usual Q&As on Twitter, West Ham owner David Gold was asked whether he would be tempted by a double figures bid for Andy Carroll from Newcastle. His response speaks volumes: https://twitter.com/davidgold/status/519763898665164803 So he wouldn't even think about an offer of £10m, which would seemingly suggest that it would take a chunk more to turn his head. And even at £10m, Carroll is already too expensive: he is a gamble at this stage in his career, and though he might well come good at Newcastle, the kind of player who should cost £10m and more should be hitting the ground running and more importantly hitting the back of the net. With Papiss Cisse very likely to be out for a month or so in January and February for the ACN tournament in Morocco, a replacement would have to be ready made, and sadly, a £10m plus Andy Carroll, with far too many battle scars and too few in the Goals Scored column would not be the right option. No matter how emotional the return.
