The Daily Discussion - Is Carroll Worth The Fuss?

By Alex Henshaw

Depending on which is your preferred source of transfer deadline day hyperbole, today's wires are hot with the news that Liverpool have made a substantial bid for Newcastle striker Andy Carroll of between £25m - £30m. The Magpies are believed to have immediately rejected the bid.

The 20 year old's stock is high after netting 11 times in just 19 starts for The Toon this season. However, it is the Gateshead born forward's eye catching displays of old fashioned physicality touched with real technical ability that have set pulses racing in the boardrooms of the league's bigger teams.

Harry Redknapp's Spurs are known admirers, and where there is available quality Manchester City have always hovered. However, with Fernando Torres's seemingly imminent departure from Liverpool, Kenny Dalglish has not delayed in attempting to replace El Nino with Carroll, and pair him with the newly arrived Luis Suarez.

The issue is whether Carroll, after just half a season of top-tier football, is worth the money.

His inexperience is also coupled with a questionable temprament which has seen allegations of booze-fuelled nightclub fracas and an assualt on his ex-girlfriend. The latter saw Carroll released on bail under the condition that he lived under ersatz house arrest at Newcastle captain Kevin Nolan's residence.

Charges were eventually dropped and any concerns seem to have been disregarded by Kenny Dalglish if today's bid is to be believed.

Ultimately, we have to ask: Is he worth the fuss?