Andy won’t leave on the cheap

BRENDAN RODGERS has told Andy Carroll’s would-be suitors: You can forget about getting him on the cheap.

Geordie striker Carroll, who will watch from the stands as West Ham play at Liverpool tomorrow, has spent the season on loan at the Hammers.
But Kop boss Rodgers has refused to slam the door on an Anfield return — even though Carroll would be even further down the pecking order now following the arrivals of Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho.
The likeliest option still remains a permanent departure, with a return to Newcastle in part-exchange for Hatem Ben Arfa a strong possibility.
Yet that does not mean the Reds will let the striker go for peanuts, even though Kop top brass know they will take a hit on the £35million he cost from the Toon in 2011.
Rodgers warned: “It’s absolutely the case that IF the player does leave then it won’t be for nothing.
“It is no fault of his own but he came here for an astronomical fee.
“There is no doubt Andy has real qualities — some of his goals from set- plays with West Ham have proven that. And the financial aspect to it means he won’t be leaving on the cheap if he does.”
The best Carroll could hope for back at Anfield is being used as an impact player. But wages of around £90,000 a week on top of that huge price tag mean it is unlikely the Reds would want him kicking his heels.
Rodgers added: “With every player it is about the style and how they fit into that. If you look at Luis Suarez we are a team that is set up to exploit his qualities.
“It’s not that Andy hasn’t got qualities because, if we set up in a different way, we’d get the best out of him. But we are happy with playing around Luis.”
When Rodgers missed out on landing Clint Dempsey from Fulham on last summer’s deadline day, it left Suarez as the only senior striker on the books.
Yet the Northern Irish manager still cannot understand those who slammed his decision to let Carroll go on loan.
He added: “I find it funny when I hear people saying we shouldn’t have let Andy go out. It was the right thing because it is not just about the football, there is a financial implication here too.
“At this moment the club isn’t one which can have that money sitting on the bench, in terms of what he cost and his wages.”
The Hammers come to Anfield for a game Liverpool MUST win if they want any chance of European football next season.
Yet Carroll — as was so often the norm before he went on loan — will be no more than an onlooker, as the terms of his Upton Park loan mean he cannot play.