Andy Carroll to Sunderland: Sam Allardyce keen to bring former Newcastle United striker to arch rivals

West Ham United are willing to listen to offers for their 6ft 4in target man

West Ham United striker Andy Carroll (Getty Images)

Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce is reportedly keen on luring former Newcastle United striker Andy Carroll back to the north east.

The 26-year-old is currently on the books at West Ham United, where persistent injury problems have prevented him from stringing together a consistent run in the side.

Carroll is the highest-earner at Upton Park, on a reported salary of £85,000-a-week, having moved to the club from Liverpool for £15m in 2013.

According to Goal, having failed to see a return on their significant investment, the Hammers are willing to offload the target man for the right price.

There are concerns that the 6ft 4in target man does not fit into new West Ham manager Slaven Bilic’s system and he has duly fallen behind Diafra Sakho in the pecking order at Upton Park.

Allardyce, Carroll’s former manager at both Newcastle and West Ham, shares an agent with Carroll and is hoping to take advantage of the situation by bringing him to the Stadium of Light.

Any move for the striker, capped nine times by England during his career, would be seen as a coup for Sunderland amid their fight against Premier League relegation.

Carroll, a boyhood supporter of Newcastle, proved to be a crowd favourite during his five-year spell at St. James’ Park and was hailed by many as the natural successor to Alan Shearer.

He has regularly been linked with a return to the club but, in a twist of fate, may now find himself playing in the colours of their arch-rivals.