West Ham increase their efforts to sign Liverpool's Andy Carroll

West Ham have increased their efforts to sign Andy Carroll by offering to take the Liverpool striker on loan for an initial fee of £2m with £16m added on top of that to make the move permanent provided the Hammers avoid relegation from the Premier League next season. However, neither Liverpool nor Carroll are keen on such a deal. The Merseyside club are holding out for £20m and would prefer not to loan out the forward, who cost the club £35m from Newcastle 18 months ago. Carroll would like to stay at the club and fight for his place but if he is to be sold, it is thought he favours a move back to the north east rather than London. Newcastle had a loan bid for the 23-year-old rejected earlier this month while Fulham are also thought to be interested in ending Carroll's stay on Merseyside.