Newcastle United are holding out on offering Andy Carroll a return to St James Park following his release by West Ham, according to The Shields Gazette.
The Magpies had been in talks with the £7.2million-rated forward over a potential move back to the North East, after Irons boss Manuel Pellegrini deemed the 30-year-old surplus to requirements and allowed his £90,000-a-week contract to expire.
United chiefs are cagey over signing the free-agent, however, as the Gateshead-born target man is yet to return to full fitness following his season-ending ankle surgery, which sidelined the Toon product in March.
Carroll has so far not found a side willing to secure his signature ahead of the new Premier League campaign, but Newcastle seem to be open to regaining his services eight-years after his £35million move to Liverpool.
It is alleged that United will wait until the former England international is back in shape, expected to be in September, at which point his fitness will be assessed before putting the proposed pay-as-you-play contract to the 9-cap man.
Whether the board waiting on Carroll proving his fitness has any carry over to our attacking search ahead of Thursday’s transfer deadline remains to be seen.