OPINION
Newcastle United have surely covered all their bases with Andy Carroll based on the reported terms of his contract as they’ve made him a risk worth taking.
The Times reported on Tuesday that the 30-year-old forward was on a basic wage of £20,000-a-week but he could earn about £70,000 if he starts games.
When you consider that £20,000-a-week isn’t a lot to pay for a Premier League footballer, let alone a proven one, the Magpies have done well getting Carroll to accept such a deal.
The 30-year-old forward has scored 53 goals in 211 appearances in England’s top-flight and has shown he is an ideal target man for a side to have, as he has managed to score 24 of his Premier League goals with his head. (Source: Premier League)
When you consider Carroll’s clear talent, you don’t play over 200 games in England’s top-flight without having something special about you, he could easily be a success for the Magpies.
This is especially the case when you consider his first spell at the club went very well as he scored 33 goals in 90 outings.
However, the big issue with Carroll is his injury record.
The 30-year-old has had countless groin injuries, knee injuries, ankle issues, thigh problems and just pretty much bad luck when it comes to staying fit, in fact, Carroll was unavailable for 24 matches for the Hammers last season, as per the Transfermarkt, and it would be risky to invest a lot of money in him.
So the Magpies paying him roughly £20,000-a-week covers them and lowers the risk when it comes to signing the forward, but they’ve also offered him the chance to earn some serious money by offering him in the region of £70,000 if he starts matches.
Carroll will surely be extra motivated not just to get himself fit, but to get himself to a stage where he has to be so good that Bruce can’t afford not to start him.
The newspaper also added that the initial one-year deal that Carroll had signed, contains a clause that will see his stay at St James Park automatically extended for another season if he plays a certain amount of games.
Once again, the Magpies have covered this basis with this clause.
If Carroll proves to be a sensation, which there is a chance of if he can get back to his best, they’re already got an agreement in place that will see extending his stay prove to be simple.
After all, how frustrating would it be if Carroll wowed at the Magpies for a season and his contract expired in the summer which led to another team scooping up his services.
Yet that seems unlikely because he’ll only prove worthwhile if he plays so many games, and if he does that he’ll trigger the aforementioned clause in his deal.
So with that in mind, it does seem like the Magpies have played a blinder with Carroll’s contract.
