OPINION
Andy Carroll’s time at West Ham United has been a mixed bag to say the least, with the colossal striker scoring some stunning goals for the club but spending much of his time on the treatment table.
The former England international is currently recovering from another ankle injury which has kept him out for the entirety of this season so far.
The 29-year-old is also approaching the end of his contract with the Hammers, with his current £87,000-a-week deal set to run out next summer.
It has been widely expected that the Irons will just let Carroll leave on a free come the end of the season, but that may not necessarily be true if the latest report is to be believed.
According to club insiders Claret and Hugh, the club have not yet ruled out offering the giant hit man a one-year extension to his deal if he manages to impress after returning from injury.
The Hammers site, which has extensive links within the London Stadium, claim that return could come extremely soon, with Carroll said to be ready to take his place on the bench against Tottenham after the international break.
It is said that the extension would be worth £50,000-a-week, instead of his current £87,000-a-week deal, but nevertheless, this would be a costly mistake from the Hammers, who would essentially be throwing his yearly wage of £2.6million down the drain.
Even if Carroll recovers and plays well and stays injury-free for the rest of the season, there is nowhere near any kind of guarantee that he will manage to do the same next term.
His propensity to breaking down with injury is just too high, and there is no worth in keeping him around for another season.
The danger he can offer when he is playing well is considerable, but there are others strikers around who can do the same without the threat of injury always looming.
West Ham must cut their losses on Carroll as soon as they can, and must bin this idea of offering him an extension as soon as possible.