If The Worst Comes To The Worst

You don't have to be a West Ham fan to know that in this second half of the season, Andy Carroll has made a massive impact at Upton Park. You just need to look at some of the goals he has scored, not just how good some of them are (especially his second against West Brom), but how crucial some of them were as well (equaliser against Southampton, winner against Swansea). He has single-handedly dominated opposition defences, and no-one can criticise his work ethic and how much effort he puts into his game (attacking and defending). 

He has been a crucial part of our season and it would be a tragedy to lose him. However, according to some newspaper headlines, unless Liverpool accept the £10 million we have offered for him, we can't afford him (due to the new financial fair play rules coming in). So in the meantime, we must look at some of the replacements that we could make if the awful thing happens and it turns out that we cannot keep him. 

Firstly, it's appropriate to say that is replacement is unlikely to be part of our current squad. With Marouane Chamakh and Wellington Paulista likely to return to their parent clubs after unsuccessful loan spells, this would leave Carlton Cole (who may not be offered a new contract at the end of the year), Modibo Maiga (who could be sold after a poor debut season) and Ricardo Vaz Te. If Vaz Te can find a return to form he may be our current best option. I'm still not convinced by Maiga as he hasn't played that much this year, and apart from a fantastic goal against Southampton, hasn't proved himself when he has played. I'm also not totally certain on whether we should offer Cole a new contract. Last year he proved that he can score 15 goals in a season, and when he has played this year, he has made a massive effort and even got a man of the match award against Chelsea. However, his past Premier League goal record hasn't been good enough to warrant a new contract, and with the wages he will be paid, we could probably invest into a new player.

One name that has recently been thrown around a lot is Wilfried Bony. The £12 million rated Ivorian striker has scored 30 goals in 27 games for the Dutch club Vitesse and has been on Big Sam's radar for quite a while now. Although there has also been interest from Chelsea, Fulham and West Brom, we have so far come out as favourites for the star striker's signature. He looks a perfect replacement for Carroll with his goal-scoring record and the price for him seems an absolute steal. Whether he will want to take the chance on us, or whether he can cut it in the UK is yet to be seen.

Blackburn striker Jordan Rhodes is also one on the list of possible replacements. The 23-year-old has scored 25 goals in the league this year to prove that his 40 goal haul for Huddersfield the previous season wasn't just a fluke. After being valued at around £8 million, this may put off Big Sam for a player who has no Premier League experience, however he may be an interesting signing after clearly proving that he knows where the net is.

Aston Villa's Christian Benteke could also be a possibility, especially if Villa get relegated. 15 goals in a debut Premier League season is very impressive, particularly in a team like Villa that have been struggling for goals all season (then again we aren't much better). The big 6 ft 3 in striker looks a perfect fit for Allardyce's tactics and could hopefully continue his current form into next year if we were to sign him.

I would be very happy with Wilfried Bony as a Carroll replacement next year, well more happier than with Rhodes or Benteke anyway. A few other names being thrown around such as Adam Le Fondre, Adel Taarabt and Marouane Chamakh on a permanent deal I would definitely not be happy with.  However, before we think about any of these strikers, I think we should focus all our efforts on trying to sign Andy Carroll. I think he could be a crucial member of our future squads and to progress as a club, we may need him.