West Ham United has rejected a loan offer from Chelsea for their striker Andy Carroll. According to recent reports, the Blues made a surprise move for the English forward but the Hammers are in no mood to entertain a loan offer from their London rivals during this month. West Ham coach Alan Irvine has confirmed that they are not willing to part ways with their prized asset during the January transfer window.
Antonio Conte’s side were lining Carroll up to play second fiddle to Alvaro Morata who has struggled to find consistent form this season while the club are fed up and seems to have run out of patience with Michy Batshuayi. It looks increasingly likely that Carroll, who is out injured with an ankle problem, will stay at the East London club for the immediate future. The 29-year-old has scored 2 goals and made one assist in 14 matches for the Hammers in all competitions this season.
Let’s take a look at three alternative options for Chelsea to consider this month.
Charlie Austin
The Southampton striker has been prolific at times this season but is currently sidelined due to a hamstring injury. The 28-year-old has proven his worth in the Premier League and won’t complain if he has to wait for his chance on the bench. He will be the perfect second fiddle to Morata for Chelsea and could chip in with some handy goals during the second half of this campaign. The English centre-forward has scored 6 goals in 17 appearances for the Saints this season.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
The Borussia Dortmund forward has been in sensational form this season but could be offloaded by the Bundesliga club this month after some issues with his conduct on and off the pitch. The Gabon international has scored 21 goals and made 3 assists in 23 appearances for the German club this term and would be the ideal man to compete with Alvaro Morata for a place in Antonio Conte’s starting eleven. He has been a prolific goalscorer for the last few seasons and the Blues could use his services in their quest to compete in four different competitions in the second half of their campaign.
Daniel Sturridge
The out of favour Liverpool striker has fallen down the pecking order at Anfield this term with Roberto Firmino being preferred to lead the attack for the Reds. His terrible record with injuries has derailed his career and now, Chelsea could look to re-sign their former player in an effort to boost their attacking options for the remainder of the season. Any potential move might be a gamble as there’re still lingering doubts about his fitness. However, it’s a gamble worth taking as he is a proven goalscorer as evidenced by his record at Liverpool which has seen him score 64 goals in 133 appearances for the Reds.
