GIBS-ON THE RISE
FOXES EYE ANDROS Trio on Drax trail
NEWCASTLE boss Rafa Benitez is considering a sensational bid to take Andy Carroll home.
The £ 130,000- a- week West Ham striker has emerged as an option for his old club on a season-long loan.
And in a double raid on London Benitez is trying to land Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere too.
But it is a move for Carroll six years after he left the club which will really appeal to Toon fans.
He joined Liverpool for £35million in January 2011, replacing Fernando Torres but failed to live up to expectations.
Plagued
Carroll went to West Ham on loan 18 months later and made the move permanent the following season, but his stay in East London has been plagued by injury and the Hammers were willing to sell the 28- year- old Geordie in January amid interest from China.
A move for the player, who has nine England caps, did not materialise but if Newcastle firm up their interest then it LEICESTER boss Craig Shakespeare will target winger Andros Townsend if he loses Riyad Mahrez or Demarai Gray this summer.
CRYSTAL PALACE boss Frank de Boer is willing to let the England international (right) leave as he continues to put his print on his Selhurst Park squad. is likely West Ham will let him return to St James’ Park for the coming campaign.
Carroll missed the last five games of last season and the first game of this term with a thigh injury.
West Ham expect him to be fit i n time for the upcoming international break, perhaps before.
Talks
Benitez is also mulling over a loan move for Wilshere, who spent last season on loan at Bournemouth, to strengthen his starting line-up following promotion. The 25- year- old will be allowed to leave Arsenal, either on a permanent deal or on loan.
While Carroll may be on his way out of the London Stadium, Barcelona midfielder Andre Gomes could be heading to it. Hammers representatives are due to meet the midfielder’s agent for talks this week.
Barca boss Ernesto Valverde has told Gomes he does not figure in his plans and Paulinho’s arrival at the New Camp has pushed the Portugal international further down the pecking order. And that will open the door for Shakespeare, who knows the futures of both Mahrez and Gray remain uncertain. Roma have already had bids rejected for Algerian Mahrez.
BOURNEMOUTH are among the teams interested in England Under-21 star Gray, who has grown frustrated at a perceived lack of opportunities. MIDDLESBROUGH have opened contract talks with Ben Gibson.
Boro’s skipper, who has been called into Gareth Southgate’s last two England squads, has been linked with a move away from the club since their relegation from the Premier League last season.
West Brom have seen two Follow us on Twwitwtewr.: @ lceosp. MANCHESTER UNITED, Arsenal and Liverpool are set for a battle over Paris SaintGermain’s Julian Draxler.
The attacking midfielder was surprisingly put up for sale as the French club prepare to sign Monaco’s £160million Kylian Mbappe weeks after the £198m world record capture of Neymar.
Germany international Draxler only joined in January from Wolfsburg for £40m and will be allowed to leave for about £32m – a bargain in the current crazy market.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has followed Draxler’s progress since he broke into Schalke’s side at the age of 17, while Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp knows of his ability from his time at Borussia Dortmund and tried to sign him in January.
United’s Jose Mourinho may target Draxler because of lack of progress in signing Inter Milan’s Ivan Perisic. SPURS have told Crewe to name their price for the latest sensation off the CREWE conveyer belt, George Nunn,15. The 6ft 1in striker, who has broken into the club’s under 18 development side, caught the eye of Spurs coaches in a game between the two clubs with a hat-trick. BRISTOL CITY’S Bobby Reid has appeared on the radar of LEICESTER, EVERTON and MIDDLESBROUGH.
The 24-year-old attacking midfielder has bagged four goals in three games, and now the League two Robins are worried that they could lose him before the end of the transfer window this month. bids turned down, while Everton, Tottenham,Leicester and Chelsea all enquired before going elsewhere.
MANCHESTER CITY are now interested should their move for Jonny Evans fall down.
But now Boro are set to reward Gibson for his loyalty to his hometown club by giving him a bumper pay rise.