Toon join Sunderland in race for former Magpie

Newcastle will go head-to-head with fierce rivals Sunderland for the signature of West Ham striker Andy Carroll, according to the Mirror.

Although the 26-year-old has rediscovered his old form in recent weeks, Hammers boss Slaven Bilic may be forced to sell him in order to raise funds for the January window.

It is believed that the East London club want to make a profit on Carroll, and have therefore set an asking price of up to £18 million.

The gigantic Englishman endured a fruitful spell on Tyneside a few years ago, which led to him leaving the Magpies for a then record fee of £35 million to Liverpool.

Both Newcastle and Sunderland are in desperate need of sufficient attacking options, so it’s no surprise to hear of their interest in Carroll.

Whether or not the Geordie-born striker would ever play for the Black Cats remains to be seen, but Big Sam is reportedly very keen on reuniting with his former striker.

Carroll joins a long list of striker targets for Newcastle, including Charlie Austin and Loic Remy.