Offloading Andy Carroll remains key to Brendan Rodgers rebuilding mission
Tony Barrett
Brendan Rodgers wants Andy Carroll to accept that his career at Anfield is over as the Liverpool manager tries to cash in on the out-of-favour forward to step up his interest in Theo Walcott and Clint Dempsey.
Before what promises to be a hectic last 48 hours of the transfer window for Liverpool, Rodgers reiterated that he needs to sell before he can buy. He hopes to use the proceeds of sales to add Walcott — who held talks with Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, yesterday — and Dempsey, the Fulham forward, to his squad.
Charlie Adam looks set to join Stoke City while Jay Spearing will leave on loan, with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Bolton Wanderers interested in the midfielder.
Those deals will free up the funds for Liverpool to reignite their interest in Dempsey, having previously ruled out a move for the American, 29, because of his age and Fulham’s £10 million asking price.
But unless Fenway Sports Group, the club’s owner, releases funds to facilitate an offer for Walcott as a potential marquee signing, any hopes Rodgers has of beating Manchester City to his signature will rest on whether they can attract a significant fee for Carroll and convince him to leave.
Walcott met Wenger yesterday after turning down a new contract and informed the Arsenal manager that he is not agitating for a transfer. Wenger, in turn, told the winger that he will not be sold during this transfer window, but Liverpool and City are ready to test the Frenchman’s resolve to keep a player who is in the final 12 months of his contract.
City are likely to make a formal offer for the England player today, but also remain interested in Scott Sinclair, having had a £6.2 million bid for the winger rejected by Swansea City, who are seeking a fee in excess of £7 million.
In the absence of the kind of spending power available at City, Rodgers will use the remaining time in the window to put together a financial package that may tempt Arsenal and Walcott to do business. The situation surrounding Carroll, who continues to interest Newcastle United, his former club, and West Ham United, is key to his hopes.
“Obviously, I have seen a lot of the links and it is great that those players would want to come here, but the reality is that we are not in a position to do those sort of deals at this stage,” Rodgers said. “The reality is, financially, we need to repair, so the players being linked for the money mentioned, I don’t have the ability to sign in this window.
“I respect players and I’m precise with my information so they know where they stand. We all come into the profession knowing what the job is. Ultimately, it comes down to what your objective is as a player.
“I can only be straight. I’ve made it clear I have a 1 to 11, cover players and development players. Some of the development players may become starters. If you fit outside that, I will tell you. Then it’s up to the player. Does the player want to play football?
“You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to see Andy has been a cover player for us and has been excellent in terms of his attitude and acceptance of where he is at, but as a football club, I don’t think we are in a position to have £35 million players as third-choice strikers, or wingers who are on £5 million-£6 million a year. This is the challenge I have.”
Carroll has been omitted from the Liverpool squad for the Europa League play-off round, second leg against Heart of Midlothian tonight as Rodgers continues to try to offload him.
Newcastle’s offer to take Carroll on loan for the rest of this season, with a guaranteed £15 million at the end of the campaign, remains on the table and Alan Pardew is hopeful that a deal can be struck. But Liverpool are reluctant to accept that bid.
“I’ve always said it’s not really down to me,” the Newcastle manager said. “Would I want him in my squad? Of course I would. Probably every Premier League manager in the country would want him in their squad. But can the business deal be done? That’s nothing to do with me.”
