West Ham ready to do an incredible u-turn and hand Andy Carroll new deal despite just one full game this season

WEST HAM are considering a shock decision to offer injury-jinxed Andy Carroll a new contract.

Striker Carroll is just weeks away from becoming a free agent at the end of a whopping six year contract, having played just one full game this season.

He has cost West Ham around £6 million this year alone in wages and other costs including medical bills - in return for one goal.

Caroll, 30, is currently recovering from his latest bout of surgery and wearing a protective boot on his ankle.

But a club insider said: “There’s an argument for it. Any deal would be structured completely differently to the current one.

“A minimal basic salary plus heavily incentivised payments in return for starts and goals and things like that. That would put the onus on him to be fit and ready.

“There is sympathy for the player. The club has grown tired of all the setbacks but if he can stay fit and it costs West Ham next to nothing, there’s not much to lose.

“There have been early discussions about it at the club. But if I were Andy or advising him, I’d probably be thinking it would be wise to stay at West Ham.”

INJURY WOE

SunSport’s surprise revelation will stun West Ham fans who have sympathy for Carroll but firmly believe it is time to cut the former England forward adrift and spend the money elsewhere.

Carroll’s wages of around £100k a week alone have set West Ham back around £31 million since he joined them for £15 million from Liverpool in 2013.

He also missed large chunks of last season through injury and has been blighted by problems throughout his time with The Hammers.

Carroll even injured his ankle putting on his trainers at home and sent security CCTV footage from his house of the incident to the club as proof of his claim.

His most recent appearance for West Ham was in the 1-0 defeat at Premier League champions Manchester City - his only full 90 minutes of the campaign.

He is back in light training already doing upper body work in the club gym at West Ham’s Essex training ground while his ankle mends.

Carroll is planning to spend the summer working out to prove he is in the best possible shape.

West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini is considering his striking options with Celta Vigo’s Maxi Gomez a big target for the summer and questions over whether Austrian Marko Arnautovic will stay.

West Ham are also preparing to say goodbye to popular keeper Adrian, who is set to leave in search of first team football after growing frustrated at being No.2 to Lukasz Fabianski.