KOP flop Andy Carroll has been given a £10million escape route out of Liverpool.
SunSport can reveal that former club Newcastle would be willing to buy back the England striker.
But for an astonishing £25m LESS than he cost the Merseysiders almost a year ago.
The dramatic development comes after a top agent rang the club to offer them 23-year-old Carroll for just £20m.
Newcastle flatly rejected the idea and a further proposal of £15m plus add-ons.
They are prepared to offer £10m, though, for Carroll â who was a hero on Tyneside and would welcome a move back to his native North East.
Newcastle refused to comment publicly but a Toon source said: "Andy's a Geordie boy and it would be great to bring him home.
"But while he left on his terms he'd have to come back on ours."
Carroll would have to take a massive cut to his £90,000-a-week wages to return to Toon and finally end his Anfield nightmare.
Liverpool, who face Manchester City in the Carling Cup semi-final tonight, are denying trying to off-load their record signing.
But rumours of a rift with Kop boss Kenny Dalglish are rife.
Carroll's career has nosedived since the £35m move, exclusively revealed in SunSport last January, which made him the most expensive British footballer in history.
He was injured when he first joined Liverpool so had to wait until March to make his debut.
But he has struggled to justify the huge price tag and has been totally over-shadowed at Anfield by Uruguayan star Luis Suarez.
Carroll has scored just six goals in 31 games in all competitions â way off the 33 in 90 matches he notched for the Toon.
He was bought to partner Suarez in the wake of Fernando Torres' £50m switch to Chelsea.
But the pair have failed to hit it off â and Carroll has spent long periods on the bench.
There are also rumours that Carroll's growing frustration has led to clashes with Dalglish over his role at the club.
Carroll argues the team are not playing to his strengths and only Steven Gerrard provides him with the service he needs to succeed.
But it remains to be seen whether he is desperate enough to call it quits so soon â and whether Liverpool would stomach such a heavy hit.
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