Cardiff City are candidates to recruit free agent Andy Carroll following his departure from league rivals West Bromwich Albion, according to a claim from pundit Nathan Blake who made this claim on BBC Radio Wales.
The 33-year-old spent time in the Championship with two different clubs last season, first joining Reading in November where he was able to remain fit and recorded two goals and one assist in eight league appearances.
However, his short-term contract at the Select Car Leasing Stadium came to an end in January and decided against renewing his start in Berkshire as he linked up with the Baggies, where he registered 15 displays.
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He managed to get on the scoresheet three times and was a useful player at The Hawthorns – but Steve Bruce took the decision to release the former Liverpool man with the 61-year-old desperate to freshen up his squad at that point.
It looked as though he would be moving to Belgium this summer with Club Brugge – but he failed a medical and with this – he remains a free agent to this day despite some promising performances during the 2021/22 campaign.
His wait for a new club could be set to come to an end though, with ex-Cardiff man Blake believing the Bluebirds are in contention to recruit him on a pay-as-you-play deal.
Speaking on BBC Radio Wales yesterday, he said (via Wales Online): “My birdies tell me, I heard that there could be a new signing in Andy Carroll as a striker. Pay as you play. That’s what I’m hearing.
“I can’t tell you who my source is. My source is one of the boys.
“It’s a very good source.”
The Verdict:
Steve Morison’s side are certainly in need of more options up top after strengthening considerably in other areas, so this would be a logical move if it was to go through.
His fitness record can be questioned but he managed to remain available for both the Royals and the Baggies last term, so the Bluebirds could potentially get at least half a season out of the experienced forward.
During the 2021/22 campaign, he also showed that he’s still retained his technical ability and though he may not be the fastest, he makes up for that with his aerial ability, making him a real asset in both boxes.
A pay-as-you-play deal would be ideal and may help to minimise costs if he does get injured – and that reducing costs will be important because they will need to add more options in the forward department regardless of whether Carroll arrives or not.
They may have coped yesterday – but they will struggle if they don’t add more attacking firepower up front to complement Sheyi Ojo, Jaden Philogene-Bidace, Rubin Colwill and Romaine Sawyers’ creativity.
