Tottenham Hotspur eye a surprise transfer for former Newcastle star: A risky choice?

Tottenham Hotspur are mulling over a move for West Ham forward and former Newcastle United star Andy Carroll as they continue their search for a short-term replacement for the injured Harry Kane.

According to The Sun, Carroll has been identified as one of the potential candidates to deputise for Kane, who has been ruled out till March.

Carroll could be available for as low as £2 million this month, with his contract expiring at the end of the season.

Andy Carroll: player profile

Tottenham Hotspur are seemingly running out of options in the attacking department, with Kane injured while Heung Min-Son is on international duty. Additionally, the Lilywhites were dealt with a fresh injury last weekend when Dele Alli limped off the pitch in the win over Fulham.

And considering back-up striker Fernando Llorente’s awful performance against the Cottagers on Sunday, it’s clear that the North London are in definite need of a new striker, who can not only deputise for Kane but also provide Mauricio Pochettino with additional attacking options.

Carroll, in that regard, appears as a decent option for Spurs, largely because of the fact that the West Ham star could be signed on a cut-price this month. However, the 30-year-old has also maintained an impressive scoring record despite seeing his career marred by injuries.

An impressive start to his career at Newcastle United saw Carroll move to Liverpool. But following an average stint at Merseyside, Carroll moved to West Ham.

The Englishman has netted 34 goals for the Hammers in the past seven seasons, which is actually quite impressive given the fact that the 30-year-old surpassed the 1,500-minute mark only once in the last seven years.

Furthermore, Carroll also has a vast amount of experience in the English top flight, having made over 200 appearances in the Premier League. Therefore, he’s certainly a safer option in contrast to someone like Giuseppe Rossi.

But most importantly, it is his style of play that could add another dimension to the Spurs attack. Standing at 6ft 4 inches, Carroll dominates in the air, which could allow Pochettino’s men to make use of their wide players and full-backs’ crosses into the box.

Despite boasting a decent goalscoring record, the 30-year-old somehow lacks the consistency as well as the mobility or the intuition to make himself a tailor-made fit under Pochettino’s tactical philosophy at Tottenham. So the potential move has its risks.