West Ham should go cap in hand to Newcastle to get Andy Carroll off the books this January

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West Ham United desperately need to address the Andy Carroll issue in January and Newcastle United could hold the key.

Carroll is fast becoming a forgotten man at West Ham and indeed in the Premier League.

It seems an eternity ago he was an emerging force at Newcastle.

Injury-prone Carroll has played just 18 games for West Ham last season, scoring only three goals – albeit very important ones.

The big Geordie has played only 128 matches for the Hammers in six seasons and netted just 33 goals in that time.

All told the Carroll deal has cost West Ham a staggering £50 million and counting.

With a wage of £90,000 per week – as widely reported by the likes of The Mirror, Carroll has cost the Hammers £48 million so far based on his salary, initial loan fee from Liverpool and his eventual £18 million permanent fee – a then club record.

Counting the cost of Carroll

And that figure will undoubtedly pushed over £50 million when goal bonuses and other such clauses are taken into account.

The eye-watering amount means Carroll has cost the Hammers in the region of £1.5 million per goal since joining the East Londoners.

So it is only right that West Ham seek to recoup at least some money for Carroll in January as his contract expires next summer.

Carroll will be back fully fit after the current international break according to Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini (whufc.com).

Carroll back just in time for Newcastle swansong?

And that could be just in time for him to catch the eye again and bump up the price ahead of the January sales.

Well-placed Hammers news website Claret & Hugh claimed the club has a two-year option on Carroll’s contract before it expires.

But now is the time to admit defeat and go cap in hand to his boyhood club Newcastle in the hope they will buy into the romance of a St James’ Park swansong.

West Ham could fetch at least £10 million for the striker in the modern market.

Rafa wants to spend and Pellegrini must take advantage

And that could go towards Pellegrini’s funds for the winter window with pace the priority for a forward line which is hugely over-reliant on Marko Arnautovic.

Whether Rafa Benitez would want Carroll remains to be seen.

But Magpies owner Mike Ashley is under pressure to provide the Spaniard with funds and Carroll’s return would go down well with Newcastle fans.

Nobody doubts Carroll’s quality and commitment when he takes to the field fully fit.

The problem is he rarely is.