Liverpool have reportedly lost patience with £35million flop Andy Carroll.
The England striker has struggled to settle at Anfield since moving south last January and is set to be sold this summer.
Carroll further harmed his chances of rebuilding his reputation when he delivered a volley of abuse towards manager Kenny Dalglish last weekend.
Having started against his former side Newcastle, he was replaced in the second half, much to his obvious disgust.
Liverpool lost 2-0 as their league campaign continued to spiral out of control.
Carroll was benched for the Reds’ 1-1 draw with Aston Villa on Saturday, coming on for the final 25 minutes.
Dalglish has insisted that Carroll’s outburst has been dealt with but the Sunday Mirror reports that the striker is on his way out.
‘Kenny has gone out of his way to protect Carroll from criticism. He’s straight with his staff, but many people here are concerned that players like Andy have not adapted to the Liverpool way,’ an Anfield source said.
There is no chance Liverpool will recoup the staggering fee they paid for Carroll and would have to accept a cut-price deal.
Carroll has reportedly told friends he would welcome a return to Newcastle but he would need to accept a drop in wages to fit in with his former club’s pay scale.
He has also been more than adequately replaced on Tyneside by the Senegalese strikers Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse.
Meanwhile, Liverpool are in talks to bring Peruvian midfielder Juan Manuel Vargas to Anfield.
The Serie A club recently rejected an £8million bid from Bayern Munich for the versatile 27-year-old.
Vargas can play in a number of positions, including left-back and in midfield, but prefers playing on the wing.
In a separate deal, Fiorentina want Liverpool’s 18-year-old Spanish ace Jesus Fernandez Saez on loan — with the view to a permanent deal.
