Liverpool Transfer News: Reds Must Sell Andy Carroll to West Ham at Robust Price

Liverpool has been steadfast in its demands when it comes to a transfer of striker Andy Carroll, but with West Ham United offering a whopping £17 million in exchange for his services, the Reds ought to soften their stance a bit and send Carroll to Upton Park.

According to Darren Lewis of Mirror Football, the potential move would make Carroll a Hammer on a one-year loan, and the transfer fee would be due to Liverpool next season. The Reds have been asking for at least £20 million if they are going to part with Carroll, but West Ham has made the best reported offer yet.

Liverpool got the mercurial, but talented, 23-year-old from Newcastle in January of 2011 for £35 million, so the Reds are obviously looking for a big return on their investment. They didn't exactly get it on the pitch as Carroll has scored just 11 times in 56 matches for Liverpool.

Accepting West Ham's offer would mean that Liverpool is essentially wiping its hands clean of Carroll and taking half of what it paid for him, but that might be the Reds' best bet at this point. Carroll's old club in the form of Newcastle United is also believed to be in the running, according to Lewis, but it has already had a £13 million offer rejected by Liverpool.

Carroll hasn't fully lived up to expectations with the Reds, but has repaired his reputation. Carroll is known for getting involved in some off-the-field altercations, but he has been a model citizen at Liverpool, and that should put West Ham and other teams at ease when it comes to offering a substantial sum of money for him.

With Luis Suarez and others ahead of him on the depth chart, the Reds clearly don't have a spot for Carroll any longer. They could play hardball and hope that a team increases its offer to the £20 million that they are seeking, but most squads figure to call their bluff. Everyone knows that Carroll is on the outs, so there is no need to send Liverpool a desperate offer.

If Liverpool waits too long then it is playing with fire and may be stuck with Carroll for the season. That would be a terrible scenario for the Reds, as Carroll would receive decreased playing time and would be much more difficult to move during the next transfer window than he is right now.

An offer of £17 million is more than fair for Carroll when you consider his production, or lack thereof, so it would be senseless for Liverpool to play a cat-and-mouse game. I highly doubt that any club is going to offer more than West Ham at this point, and it would be dumb if somebody did. Carroll is young and can still develop into a better player, but his performance doesn't warrant what Liverpool is asking for.

It is time for the Reds to end the charade and accept West Ham's substantial offer. Carroll simply doesn't have a future with Liverpool at this point, so both he and the Reds would be better off if the move were to be made in the near future.

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