Sunderland and Newcastle must pay close to £18m for West Ham star

SUNDERLAND and Newcastle will have to fork out close to £18million if they want to sign Andy Carroll, according to reports.

 

Sunderland and Newcastle are both reportedly keen on a move for Andy Carroll

 

The former Liverpool striker has scored in each of his last two games as the Hammers recorded wins against Southampton and Liverpool.

Carroll has been in and out of West Ham's starting XI in recent months but his contributions from the bench have attracted interest from Newcastle and Sunderland.

 

Andy Carroll scored in West Ham's 2-0 victory over Liverpool at the weekend

 

But according to the Daily Mail, the Hammers will not part with their striker for a cheap fee.

The report claims the London club are not actively looking to sell Carroll and would only consider a deal if a bid was made close to the club-record £18m they paid to sign him from the Reds in 2013.

 

Sam Allardyce is understood to be keen to link up with Carroll again with the Black Cats in desperate need of goals to ensure they stay up this season.

However, Carroll could favour a return to Newcastle where he spent five years at his boyhood club.

Carroll's current contract at Upton Park runs until the summer of 2019.