Liverpool Transfer News: Brendan Rodgers Must Keep Andy Carroll at Anfield

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers must keep forward Andy Carroll at Anfield this coming season rather then deal him away from the club.

Rodgers will ultimately determine the future of the Reds striker, this according to a report by the UK's Mirror.

Liverpool chairman Tom Werner made it clear that Rodgers would be making the decision on Carroll's future via ESPN.com:

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"Brendan is clearly the leader here, the only thing I can say is we will do what is best for the club. At the moment Andy is on the squad, he is an important member of the England team and he has a lot of talent. We will see what happens."

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This statement form Werner sounds like the higher-ups at Liverpool are having a difficult time sorting out what to make of Andy Carroll's play last season. Although he showed glimpses of his potential, the club seems to be running out of patience waiting for a superstar to emerge. 

The 23-year-old Carroll scored nine goals on 120 shots in 47 appearances for the club last season, and wants to remain at Anfield, according to an ESPN.com report. 

The latter point is the most important of all though. The fact that Carroll wants to be there and believes he can prove a lot to Rodgers and his coaching staff is reason enough to keep him around and take a shot on his potential.

Not to mention the club shelled out £35 million to bring him in less than two years ago.

The trouble is that Carroll only scored four goals during English Premier League play last season, tied for fourth-most on the squad. The knock on the young English national team player is that he was only able to convert four times on 88 shots in the EPL.

Still, Liverpool could use the firepower next season after finishing eighth in the EPL table with as many wins as defeats. The Reds ranked 11th in the EPL in goals scored, with just 47. Leading goal-scoring club Manchester City nearly doubled that mark with 93 last season. 

For Liverpool to cut ties with a young player like Carroll, who has produced on the most difficult of stages so quickly after acquiring him would be outright foolish. But it will be Rodgers' decision to make now, and no one else's.

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