HAMMER TIME ... Carroll could seal West Ham move
Start the Car
WEST HAM have agreed a £16million fee with Liverpool to sign loan striker Andy Carroll.
The Geordie yesterday withdrew from England games with the Republic of Ireland and Brazil due to a heel injury.
The Hammers hope the lure of regular first-team football in a World Cup year will persuade the 24-year-old forward to move from Anfield.
West Ham’s bid is an initial £12m plus an additional performance-related £4m.
It is now down to the player, who said of his loan spell at Upton Park this season: “I have enjoyed every minute.
“I have just tried to play my best in every match, score goals and keep myself fit.
“I have had a great season. This is a great club.”
Carroll cost Liverpool £35m from Newcastle in the wake of Fernando Torres’ £50m transfer to Chelsea but has failed to make an impact at Anfield.
And West Ham sources insist he is “giving serious thought” to a permanent move to East London.
Carroll’s injury is a major blow to England boss Roy Hodgson, who wanted a good look at the 6ft 3in striker with a view to the crucial World Cup qualifiers in September and October.
Hodgson said: “He gives another dimension to our squad.
“There’s always room for a centre-forward who is good at holding the ball up and attacking crosses.”
RAT RACE ... Razvan Rat has joined West Ham
Big Sam on the Raz
WEST HAM have completed the signing of Romania captain Razvan Rat.
The left-back joins on a free transfer after deciding to leave Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk.
Rat, 31, has penned a one-year deal at Upton Park.
Hammers boss Sam Allardyce said: “I’m hugely happy that we’ve got a player of his experience and his character.
“He’s been playing Champions League football this year and at the highest level for many years.
“Shakhtar had offered him a very good contract, but his ambition was to come and try his abilities and skills in England.
“When you hear somebody speak so positively about that, then you know they’ve got the mental character that’s needed to do well in this division.
“We certainly know he’s got the ability and he’s at an age where he’s still capable of producing at 31.
“He speaks perfect English, which he taught himself, and that shows the discipline and the character of the man.
“Discipline, character and ability are the three big things in the Premier League, and with a little bit of adjusting, we’ll see him early on in the season giving hopefully his best performances for West Ham.”
Dynamic duo: A Carroll/Lukaku partnership would be a headache for defenders
Deal or no deal: David Sullivan talks transfers with our Darren Lewis
Cole scuttled: Carlton has left West Ham - to make room for Lukaku?
Lukacoup! West Ham want Romelu Lukaku and Andy Carroll as their strike-force for next season
Hammers eye Chelsea starlet who scored 17 goals on loan at West Brom in 2012-13 as they wait for Liverpool star to agree permanent move
Dynamic duo: A Carroll/Lukaku partnership would be a headache for defenders Dynamic duo: A Carroll/Lukaku partnership would be a headache for defenders
West Ham are plotting to pair Romeu Lukaku with Andy Carroll in a potentially sensational strike-force next season.
The ambitious Hammers agreed a £15.5million fee with Liverpool for England international Carroll, who spent the 2012-13 season with them on loan, on Saturday.
They will now move quickly in an attempt to beat Europa League-bound Swansea to the signing of Chelsea striker Lukaku, who is set to go out on loan for another season in 2013-14 after an impressive year with West Brom.
Hammers joint-chairman David Sullivan explained: “Lukaku would be a loan again. We’d maybe buy him a year later if Chelsea decide they don’t want him.”
Highly-sought-after Belgium international Lukaku, 20, hit 17 goals for West Brom, including a hat-trick against Manchester United in Sunday's season finale.
Meanwhile, West Ham and Liverpool are now waiting for Carroll to decide whether he wants to make his move permanent.
Carroll, also linked with a return to Newcastle, the club he left for Anfield in 2011, is set to give both sides an answer by next week.
Sullivan added: “When I spoke to him he said he very much enjoyed his time at West Ham and he very much enjoyed his time in London.
“He won’t play again at Liverpool and in a World Cup year you’d hope he wants to play somewhere that he already knows he feels comfortable in a system proven to get the best out of him.
"But only he knows the answer.”
The two men made a massive impact at their clubs in the season just ended.
Played together, the Hammers believe, Carroll and Lukaku will form the best strike-force outside the top six.
Joint-owner Sullivan told the Mirror: “If we sign Andy, it will be a record signing for the club. Having said that, he is just our type of player and it has been an exciting time watching him.
“He and Romelu would be devastating. The best strike- force outside of the top six or seven.
"Lukaku has been amazing for West Brom this season and I’d hope that he would prefer to live in London.”
Carroll’s seven goals this season have come in his final 16 games of the season.
And the marksman forced himself back into the England squad for the forthcoming friendlies against the Republic of Ireland and Brazil, before a heel injury ruled him out on Tuesday.
Sullivan said: “Andy is a real professional. Had he not been injured this season, we would have been much higher up the table.
“He is first on the training ground and last away. He is a young man who wants to improve himself. He is one of the few professionals I’ve met where it’s about football, not money.
“Last summer the manager said to me,: ‘If you sign me Andy Carroll, I will guarantee you we will stay in the Premier League.’ So we said, ‘Thank you very much, Sam. There you go.’
“And from day one, he has been fantastic. If you picked Frank Lampard behind him for England, you’d get a lot of goals.”
West Ham fans will be delighted with the ambition Sullivan and co-owner David Gold showed last summer to snap up the players capable of keeping the club up.
Sullivan now believes manager Sam Allardyce has won over fans who doubted the club could entertain under him.
He added: “I’ve come out of the adult industry.
"Paul Raymond owned just one strip club in Soho, but he was always seen as the strip king. In fact he was actually a huge property magnate.
“In the same way, there is still a misconception about Sam.
"He is a very smart, forward-thinking man. He is intelligent, he prolongs careers and he is brilliant in terms of maximising players’ potential.
"We have played some great stuff under him this season. I just hope he has two or three fantastic years with us and then finally gets a crack at the England job.”
Sullivan has warned fans that managers really will have to sell this summer before they can buy, with the introduction of Financial Fair Play.
Hammers favourite Carlton Cole has left after turning down a new deal and Marouane Chamakh is set to follow after a disappointing spell on loan from Arsenal.
But the club are signing Romania and Shakhtar Donetsk left-back Razvan Rat on a three-year deal.
Sullivan said: “I am absolutely delighted with this season. To be clear of relegation with three or four games to go has been a lovely feeling.
“But we have another challenge ahead. Newcastle were fifth last year and yet hovered above the relegation zone this time. There can never be any room for complacency.”
Rat fans: West Ham have finally landed Romania skipper Razvan Rat
Rat up a drainpipe! West Ham sign Razvan Rat from Shakhtar Donetsk two days into summer window
The full-back captains Romania, has bags of Champions League experience with the Ukrainians and speaks perfect English reveals Allardyce
West Ham have wasted no time starting their summer shopping, signing of Romania captain Razvan Rat on a free transfer.
The full-back, 31, has inked a one-year contract and will link up with the Hammers in July, after his current deal with Ukrainian champions and Champions League regulars Shakhtar Donetsk expires.
Rat has spent the last 10 years playing in Ukraine, winning 15 trophies in total and has 88 international caps.
West Ham, who were linked with Rat during the winter window , have the option to extend the deal to two or three years and his capture has delighted manager Sam Allardyce.
"I'm hugely happy that we've got a player of his experience and his character," the boss told the official West Ham website.
"He's been playing Champions League football this year and at the highest level for many years. Shakhtar had offered him a very good contract, but his ambition was to come and try his abilities and skills in England.
"When you hear somebody speak so positively about that, then you know they've got the mental character that's needed to do well in this division.
"We certainly know he's got the ability and he's at an age where he's still capable of producing at 31.
"He speaks perfect English, which he taught himself, and that shows the discipline and the character of the man.
"Discipline, character and ability are the three big things in the Premier League, and with a little bit of adjusting, we'll see him early on in the season giving hopefully his best performances for West Ham."
London calling? Andy Carroll could move permanently to West Ham after the club agreed a fee with Liverpool
West Ham agree £15m fee with Liverpool to sign Carroll on permanent deal
Andy Carroll is expected to join West Ham on a permanent deal after Liverpool agreed to take a £20million loss on the striker.
While Carroll is yet to say yes to the move, West Ham have had a bid of £15m agreed in principle by Liverpool for a forward who cost a record £35m for a British player when he signed from Newcastle in January 2011.
Carroll is believed to be keen on moving to Upton Park but the club want a definite answer from him by the end of next week.
London calling? Andy Carroll could move permanently to West Ham after the club agreed a fee with Liverpool
London calling? Andy Carroll could move permanently to West Ham after the club agreed a fee with Liverpool
The 6ft 3in Carroll yesterday pulled out of England’s squad for the friendlies against the Republic of Ireland and Brazil because of injury.
He had been recalled by head coach Roy Hodgson last week but suffered a heel problem in the Hammers’ final game of the season against Reading.
Scans have shown he needs complete rest. Hodgson was keen to use the friendlies to take another look at Carroll, who has been in outstanding form for West Ham during the last few weeks of his season-long loan under Sam Allardyce.
The Hammers boss admitted at the weekend that signing Carroll had become his top priority after his partnership with midfielder Kevin Nolan flourished.
Liverpool have reluctantly agreed to sell Carroll but Brendan Rodgers does not believe the target man has a future at Anfield.
He struggled to make an impact after he was signed when Liverpool wanted a replacement for Fernando Torres.
Although his initial £65,000 a week salary was comparatively low, his transfer fee for an unproven Premier League player was incredible at the time.
He scored only four goals for Liverpool in the Premier League and has spent the majority of this campaign on loan with the Hammers.
Although the West Ham board have reservations about his injury record, they are determined to back Allardyce’s transfer plans.
Carlton Cole looks set to leave West Ham after saying goodbye to the fans on Twitter.
‘Life is filled with ups & downs today is a down but i’ll be back! Carlton Cole/CFC as i have been called has left the building. i want to thank the West Ham fans for their support especially the 1’s who made the away games feel like a home 1. #COYI’
West Ham have agreed to sign Romania defender Razvan Rat on an initial two-year deal when his contract with Shakhtar Donetsk expires on July 1. The 31-year-old left back has 88 caps.
The Hammers have also held talks with AC Milan’s out-of-contract captain Massimo Ambrosini, who will be 36 next week.
Meanwhile, Carroll has pulled out of England's international friendlies with Brazil and the Republic of Ireland suffering a heel injury.
Winston Reid targeted by Arsenal?
All Whites defender Winston Reid has become a transfer target of English giants Arsenal, according to football rumour mills in the UK.
The 24-year-old, who recently signed a two-year extension with his current club West Ham United, has just completed an impressive season in the English Premier League for which he was named the London club's player of the year.
The rumours have come to light after Norwegian football journalist, and former chief executive of French club AS Monaco, Tor-Kristian Karlsen took to his Twitter account to say Reid had been linked with two English clubs.
"I have on good authority that two Premier League clubs (one apparently being Arsenal) are interested in West Ham's centre-back Winston Reid," Karlsen tweeted.
While there has been no official comment from either West Ham or Arsenal regarding the rumour, Karlsen does seem to carry some clout in the European football industry.
A regular contributor to respected publications such as The Guardian, The Times, The Independent and stations such has BBC radio, he also worked as a scout for football clubs Grasshopper Zurich, Watford, Bayer Leverkusen, Hannover and Zenit St Petersburg
Were Reid to be signed by Arsenal it would be arguably be the biggest transfer in New Zealand football history, eclipsing Wynton Rufer’s move to German side Werder Bremen in 1989.
Reid, who was born in Auckland before moving to Denmark when aged 10, started his footballing career in his adopted country before making the move to West Ham in August 2010.
Reid made his international debut for the All Whites against Australia in 2010 and this year took over as New Zealand captain following the retirement of Ryan Nelsen.
Andy Carroll was last night ruled out of England’s summer friendlies
LIVERPOOL AGREE FEE WITH WEST HAM FOR INJURED ANDY CARROLL
ANDY CARROLL was last night ruled out of England’s summer friendlies – on the day West Ham agreed to pay Liverpool £15m for him.
The Kop club will take a £20m hit on the striker they bought from Newcastle for £35m two years ago. Carroll had been called up for the first time since October, for the games with the Republic of Ireland and Brazil.
But a heel injury ruined the 23-year-old hitman’s hopes of continuing the fine end-of-season form he showed with the Hammers.
Hodgson had talked about targetman Carroll offering his team a different option.
But it looks like he will not be calling up a striker replacement and will have to rely on Wayne Rooney, Jermain Defoe, Danny Welbeck and Daniel Sturridge.
Liverpool have reached an agreement with Sam Allardyce’s side and Carroll must now decide whether to make his season-long loan to Upton Park permanent or hold out for other offers.
Rat Signs, Cole Leaves & Carroll Fee 'Agreed'
Bearing in mind the old season has barely finished, I can't say I was expecting much transfer activity this week, but today it has been announced that Romanian international left back Razvan Rat on a free transfer from Russian side Shaktar Donetsk. He has a great record, with 88 Romanian caps, and speaks good English so let's hope he finds his feet quickly. He's a headline writer's gift, but we should remember that in German, 'rat' means advice!
Secondly, Carlton Cole has announced on Twitter that he is leaving the club. It had been rumoured that he was offered a 'take it or leave it' contract. He decided to leave it. I'm very sad as he is a lovely bloke and has been a great servant for us since he joined all those years ago, back in 2006. He scored 47 goals in 206 appearances, but last season saw him score only 2 goals. I'd have liked to have seen him stay as I think he performed a very useful role and could have come good again. Carlton is a confidence player and I am sure we all remember that season when Gianfranco Zola really got the best out of him. It wouldn't at all surprise me if he ended up back with Zola at Vicarage Road.
And finally as if all that wasn't enough, it is being reported all over the place that West Ham have agreed a £15 million fee for Andy Carroll. However, it seems Andy Carroll is in no hurry to do a deal and that makes me wonder if his heart isn't still set on re-signing for Newcastle. If I tell you that of the 1426 people who have taken part in the Keep/Sell survey, only 28 (1.6%) don't want him to stay at Upton Park, you'll see how much we rate him. One Twitter report suggested that he will indeed sign and that he will be unveiled along with the new kit on June 20th. i don't think any of us want to wait that long. Put us out of our misery
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis says that talks have opened with Manchester City over a deal that would see Edinson Cavani, 26, move to the English club with 27-year-old Edin Dzeko heading the other way.
Napoli striker Edinson Cavani has been a long-rumoured target for several top European clubs
Metro
Malaga's Manchester City target Isco, 21, is now said to be interesting both Chelsea and Real Madrid.
talkSPORT
Real Madrid and Barcelona are said to be monitoring Chelsea's David Luiz, 26, who may not be wanted by Jose Mourinho if he returns to Stamford Bridge.
Daily Mail
Fiorentina want around £30m for striker Stefan Jovetic, 23, who is a summer target for Arsenal.
Daily Mirror
Gareth Bale is "one million per cent" certain to stay at Tottenham according to the club's development coach and former player Tim Sherwood.
Daily Star
Incoming Manchester United boss David Moyes is keen to beat Chelsea to the signature of Southampton's 17-year-old full-back Luke Shaw.
Luke Shaw
Daily Mail
Andy Carroll, 24, has yet to decide if he will move to West Ham despite the London club having agreed a fee for the 24-year-old Liverpool striker.
talkSPORT
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is confident that Luis Suarez will stay at the club even if they receive bids for the 26-year-old striker this summer.
Daily Mirror
Phil Neville is in the frame for a senior coaching role at Stoke City following the departure of manager Tony Pulis after seven years in charge at the club.
The Independent
However the former Manchester United and England defender, 36, has told Everton chairman Bill Kenwright he is keen to replace David Moyes as the Toffees' manager.
The Guardian
Stoke captain Ryan Shawcross took to Twitter to express his shock at the sacking of Tony Pulis.
Stoke Sentinel
Full-back Gael Clichy says that both Roberto Mancini and the Manchester City players must take the blame for Mancini's dismissal as City manager.
the Independent
Manchester City will unveil their new Nike kit, part of a deal said to be worth £72m with the American sportswear firm, in a post-season friendly with Chelsea in St Louis, Missouri, on Thursday. The club has also announced a partnership with the New York Yankees to form a new MLS franchise called New York City Football Club.
Sky Sports
The club that finishes bottom of the Premier League next season is set to collect around £63m in earnings from a new broadcasting deal currently in negotiations, just over £20m more than the current amount.
Full story: Daily Telegraph
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