Newcastle weigh up Carroll return

Newcastle are looking into the possibility of bring Andy Carroll back to his home town club, PA understands.

The 30-year-old is a free agent after being released by West Ham at the end of last season, but has been plagued by injuries throughout his career and it is understood that the Magpies are examining his medical records closely as they weigh up their options.

Carroll underwent ankle surgery in February and has not played since, and his acquisition even on a short-term deal would represent something of a gamble.

However, if he was able to return to anything like the form which saw him emerge from the ranks at St James’ Park as a teenager before earning a £35million move to Liverpool in January 2011, that might just prove to be a gamble worth taking.

Carroll’s exit prompted an outcry from fans who had hoped the club would build a team around the striker, although his problems since have somewhat mitigated the disappointment of his loss.

However, with record summer signing Joelinton untested in the Premier League, the addition of an experienced frontman is an attractive proposition as head coach Steve Bruce looks to replace the goals lost by the exits of Salomon Rondon and Ayoze Perez.