http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...s-Fulham-Aston-Villa-and-West-Ham-United.html please log in to view this image At present, Fulham are the only club prepared to make an offer to buy - rather than loan - Carroll, with Liverpool having already decided to contact clubs to see if they are interested in signing the England international. It had been thought that Liverpool were seeking a loan for Carroll, whose future has been publicly questioned by new manager Brendan Rodgers, but it is understood they are interested in a sale. That would, as things stand, make Fulham the favourites if the player can be persuaded to leave. West Ham chairman David Sullivan is due to meet Carroll’s agent, Mark Curtis, on Thursday but sources at the newly-promoted Premier League club still rate the chances of success at little more than “10 per cent”. Nevertheless West Ham are keen to make a ‘marquee’ signing and will continue to push for Carroll. Even if the 23 year-old did go out only on loan, it would be an expensive deal with Liverpool expected to demand a big loan fee and a high portion, if not all, of his wages being covered. Fulham want to acquire a powerful striker having missed out on Russia international Pavel Pogrebnyak, who was on loan last season but has since agreed a permanent deal with Reading. With Fulham having sold Bobby Zamora to Queens Park Rangers in January and Andy Johnson leaving to join the same club this summer, they are short of strikers. Fulham are also acutely aware of Liverpool’s interest in Clint Dempsey, who has just one more year left on his contract at Craven Cottage and would like to leave, ideally in search of Champions League football. Liverpool cannot offer that to the American but are undoubtedly a bigger club although they are resisting the £7 million plus being asked for by Fulham for a player who is 29. Liverpool are understood to have made an offer, however, and talks are ongoing. Fulham would like to investigate the possibility of agreeing a deal of Dempsey plus cash for Carroll – who is believed to now only be valued at around £15 million – although the club will also have to evaluate the player’s character. Liverpool are expected to tomorrow announce the signing of Fabio Borini from Roma for around £11 million, which will raise further questions over Carroll’s chances of regular first-team football this season. Liverpool could rationalise his sale, and the loss of £20 million in his fee, by claiming they would still remain in profit given he was signed following the £45 million recouped from Fernando Torres’s departure to Chelsea in January last year. Carroll has insisted that he would like to stay at Liverpool and fight for his place but if Rodgers makes it clear he is not part of his plans then it could lead to a rethink, especially if the former Newcastle striker is determined to pursue his England career. Carroll would not appear to fit the fluid 4-3-3 formation favoured by Rodgers, who had Borini on loan at Swansea and has tracked his progress in Serie A. Tottenham have turned down the chance to make an offer, after being contacted on Tuesday by Liverpool, who were in contact with a number of clubs, although Villa have registered an interest through new manager, Paul Lambert. However, it is understood that Carroll does not want to join Villa and might prefer a move to London if he is made to leave Anfield. Milan’s interest is thought to be genuine but may be contingent on Ibrahimovic leaving the Italian club. PSG want to sign the striker and Brazilian defender Thiago Motta and a double-bid could be made this week. Ibrahimovic’s agent Mino Raiola, who also represents Mario Balotelli, held talks with Milan on Wednesday and the Swede’s future is understood to have been discussed given the interest of the cash-rich and highly-ambitious PSG.
I like him, defended him all year, derided by my friends all year... But, if he leaves and we replace him I'll live, and a part of me will rejoice. The whole thing leaves a lingering feeling of embarrassment. £35M... what was Kenny thinking.
Liverpool are expected to tomorrow announce the signing of Fabio Borini from Roma for around £11 million, which will raise further questions over Carroll’s chances of regular first-team football this season. Ordered some new wheels for my new motor and they arrive tomorrow too, so could be a good day
Also, 'Thiago Motta'... The article means Thiago Silva surely? Motta is both Italian and already at PSG.
Rodgers clearly has a plan, if we do loan / sell him then he should be banned from playing against us. Heart rate will raise about 25% every time whoever he plays for gets a corner or a cross into the box. Poor old big Andy
Rules state that you can't play against your parent club if both clubs are in the Premiership so that wouldn't be a problem. I still don't think Prem clubs should be allowed to loan players to other Prem clubs at all or maybe only if they are under 21 to help aid development. Saw what City did with Adebayor and pretty much gave Spurs a player to do well against City's title rivals but not being able to play against them.
I'm expecting my phone back tomorrow too. All round good day then PS - £11m...? I thought it was going to be about £8m...?
Exactly my sentiments! Part of me wants him to move on, just so we don't have the burden to defend him at every opportunity, but equally I want him to stay on and become a huge success.
He showed promise especially in the 4-1 win over Chelsea where he made Terry look like a Sunday League player, and that is being kind to Terry. It would be idiotic to get rid when hes just started to find form. He needs to be given a chance to impress the manager in the same way the other young players are (remember he's only 23!). If at the end of the season he stil can't settle into the new style etc then yeah, cut our loses but I honestly think in 3-4 years he'll be a pain in the ass for defenders. Niall Quinn recently said that he didn't have a clue how to use his body and height until he was in his late 20's which is something "big men" struggle with when they are so young. Small, quick players flourish when they are young and have the pace which gives them an edge but when they get into their late 20's early 30's they start to lose their pace and aren't as effective (Owen is a prime example) where as big target men don't hit their peak until late 20's when they have learnt how to use their height and strength to be effective.
The whole things madness to me. I just don't get it at all. As for having to defend Carroll and the money we paid for him I personally don't feel responsible for what we pay for players...but how the **** do you defend spending 35million pounds on a player who we are about to either flog for a loss of 15 million (or more) or send out on bloody loan I thought FSG were supposed to be making us "more financially stable".
for me this is why they sacked comolli... it needs to be cleared up shortly as every scrap of positivity from rodgers conference and "expected signing" thing has evaporated and the amatuer hour running of the club continues under a new man it seems. It just looks weak and stupid and we are wide open for pocket picking... 10mil is the latest fee mooted.
I don't see Carroll fitting into Rodgers's system. The wingers (Suarez and whoever else will be on the outside in the top 3) will be looking at getting the ball and driving closer to goal and pulling the ball back, rather than a Downing type who goes to the line and just whip a ball in. Rodgers's style requires a proactive striker who relies on good movement etc which does not suit Carroll. The 'Downing' style winger will cross the ball (aimlessly) into the box and Carroll will then react to the ball and move accordingly. I can see Carroll as a good plan B but not as the main striker.
I don't agree that he's as limited in his ability as you suggest though. Plus isn't BR supposed to be good at developing young players games? Also not having even had 5 minutes to work on Plan A yet why on earth would we be so quick to volley Plan B into touch?
I think Carroll will develop further and can only get better as he becomes more experienced. I just feel at this moment in time, BR requires a more intelligent striker and AC just isn't quite there yet which is why I can see a loan deal being ideal (only if it is at a club that plays good football).
Agreed, if this is true: "Tottenham have turned down the chance to make an offer, after being contacted on Tuesday by Liverpool, who were in contact with a number of clubs" Then this is a complete fking shambles - are we SERIOUSLY calling up our main rival for the top 4 spot and asking them to take our number 9 off our hands? I just cannot even begin to fathom how ridiculous this sounds, so i'm gonna go with the whole thing is bollox attitude and hope a statement is released today saying it is all nonsense. Otherwise - we are an even bigger joke than we have been over the past few years.
