Andy Carroll joins West Brom on a free transfer after his short-term deal at Reading expired earlier this month; former Liverpool forward signs for Albion on a deal until the end of the season; Baggies boss Valerien Ismael on deal: "It could be a win-win situation for us"
Friday 28 January 2022 16:16, UK
West Brom have signed Andy Carroll on a deal until the end of the season.
The former Liverpool and Newcastle striker, who is eligible to play at Millwall on Saturday, was a free agent after his short-term deal at Reading ended earlier this month.
West Brom have moved for the former West Ham forward after Daryl Dike suffered a hamstring injury on his full debut against Peterborough which will rule him out for eight weeks.
Dike only moved to The Hawthorns from Orlando City for £7m at the start of the month.
West Brom boss Valerien Ismael said: "Andy is a player who is able to help us straight away. He is ready and brings with him all the attributes we need. It could be a win-win situation for us.
"The fact Andy has played plenty of games for Reading recently is great. He's fit after playing those games and he's scored goals during that short-term deal. Hopefully Andy can now score goals for us.
"After the Dike injury, we assessed the situation, because it is a big loss, and it was clear that he had made an impact in that short time.
"We needed to replace him, and we are pleased to welcome Andy who has a lot of experience."
Carroll had reportedly been an option for Burnley this month after they lost Chris Wood to Newcastle for £25m.
The 33-year-old recently had a two-month spell at Reading, where he scored twice in eight appearances for the Royals, including in the 2-1 defeat at Middlesbrough.
The 33-year-old also had a pair of screamers disallowed in this month's 7-0 home defeat against Championship leaders Fulham.
Reading wanted to extend his deal but Carroll has opted to join high-flying Albion, who are fifth, seven points off the automatic promotion places.
The clock is ticking. Who will be on the move before the transfer window closes at 11pm on Monday January 31?
Keep up-to-date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports' digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.
