Andy Carroll: Rating 6 Strikers Rumoured To Replace the Big Guy

After the debacle that was the January transfer window, Newcastle United fans suddenly found themselves short on Andy Carrolls. To make striker depth even worse, Xisco was also offloaded after doing, well, nothing.

But not being the side to let little things like your striker tipped for great things heading off get them down, the Magpies went to Craven Cottage knowing they had a point to prove. But early on, Shola Ameobi left the game with a cheek fracture and will now likely be sidelined for the rest of the season. Another fun fact is that Leon Best has withdrawn from Ireland's next international with a hamstring complaint.

With this kind of luck, I hope Alan Pardew doesn't gamble very often.

However, a side effect of having £40 million is that you can afford to get yourself active on the transfer market once again. The good news is that rumours are coming in thick and fast about strikers that Pardew's lining up to replace Carroll.

This comes with the mandatory investigative work of YouTubing these previously unknown characters, checking out their Wikipedia pages and trawling the internet for headlines. Here are six that I found.

1) Andy Johnson: Asking Price £8m.

OK, I must admit that the only reason he's here is that I couldn't find any articles denying it.

The ex-Crystal Palace and Everton man's just coming off an injury, and Fulham don't like the idea of selling him. That and reported competition for him with hated rivals Sunderland will probably bump the price up to more than what is necessary.

Another thing is that he reportedly moved to Fulham to be in London, so it seems odd that he'd head up to the tropical Tyneside. Moving on.

2) Givanildo Vieira De Souza: Asking Price Unknown

After coming off a fairly decent stint in Tokyo, the man they call "HULK" (note All Caps) is 180cm and 75kg. However, it isn't for nothing that nicknames are earned: he's got a reputation for running people off the ball and has a ripper of a left foot.

Currently he's in Jose Mourinho's old club FC Porto, where in 18 games this season he has 19 goals and four assists, compared with 32 goals from 61 games total at the club. None too shabby. He also seems deceptively quick and can be a bit unpredictable on the ball.

He seems a decent prospect at Newcastle, and with UCL experience he shouldn't be too far out of his depth in England. I can see him being used to support Leon Best and produce the occasional volley from a distance.

3) Mounir El Hamdaoui: Asking Price Unknown

In the Eredivisie, the Moroccan looks out of his depth, but in the good sense. A couple of seasons ago, he was named Dutch Footballer of the Year, and since 2007 he's picked up 61 goals from 98 appearances.

The clip and the fact that one of the related videos is titled "MESSI = EL HAMDAOUI" suggest that if even the great Messi rates himself by looking at this guy, El Hamdaoui can't be too bad. His footwork's very impressive, he's quick and he has a striker's finish.

If he got game time at St. James', I can see him possibly taking over the primary striking duties, with Best moved back to support him.

He's already failed at Tottenham, but that could have made him better prepared for football at this level. Unfortunately, Ajax, who have just lost Luis Suarez, will probably not be too happy at the idea of losing another decent striker and that may bump the price up.

4) Jeremie Aliadiere: Asking Price Around £720,000

Pardew hasn't said much on this ex-Arsenal free agent, but according to transfermarket, he seems like a steal. At 185cm he's shorter than I am, but still not a bad force in the air.

He also has a decent finishing ability, so in all I can see him becoming a useful asset to free up a bit of space for guys like Best or Nile Ranger. The idea of having a decent jumper for Joey Barton's crosses is also an appealing one.

The problem is, like Johnson, he's been out of football for a while with both a knee injury and no longer being wanted by Middlesborough. In the clip, he also seemed a bit slow, something that won't have improved with the injury.

5) Ewerthon Henrique De Souza: Asking Price Around £900,000

Like Aliadiere, Brazilian forward/winger Ewerthon is a free agent. He isn't a goalscoring machine, having netted seven times from 21 appearances at Brazilian club Palmeiras, where they decided not to extend his contract.

But from his footage, he's quick, good with his feet, does a lot of things right off the ball and, better yet, can score with his head. At 172cm he isn't particularly tall, but what struck me was the amount of those goals that he scored by working well with the midfield.

According to his manager, he'd be interested in a move. While he hasn't been outstanding anywhere, he does have La Liga and Bundesliga experience which could be valuable up north.

6) Gervais Yao Kouassi (aka Gervinho): Asking Price £8m

Since the last Ivorian that came to St. James' Park, it's understandable why Newcastle fans would be optimistic about the arrival of Gervinho. Currently he's at Ligue 1 club Lille, where he's scored 17 goals from 40 appearances.

His footwork is incredible, and he has pace to burn. At 23, he could become a long-term signing if the deal works out (similarly to Hatem Ben Arfa), and he'd make an excellent partner for Nile Ranger. With them in a twin striker formation, Newcastle are suddenly one of the faster teams up front.

Another interesting point that was raised is the "marquee factor" that he'd bring. If Newcastle pick up one of Diddier Drogba's strike buddies, that would signal they're a club with serious ambition, possibly even attracting other players.

Having played Ligue 1 football (with no European experience), he may struggle to adjust early on. But the thing that most puts me off the idea is that he doesn't seem to use his head enough. Really, that's one of the things the club badly needs with Carroll gone.

So there you have it: six strikers rumoured to replace Andy Carroll, at least in the short term. None of them are outstanding, but for me, they all have merit and I wouldn't mind seeing any of them arrive.