West Ham United are reportedly concerned that Andy Carroll's latest ankle injury could mean he has played his last game for the club.
The 30-year-old's current contract expires at the end of the season, and there were hopes that Carroll would be given the remainder of the season to prove his worth to the Hammers.
However, according to The Mirror, there are fears that Carroll's latest injury could sideline him for the remainder of the current campaign, meaning he may have already played his last game for the club.
The worry is that this could be a recurrence of the ankle injury which has plagued Carroll over the last few seasons. He missed the first five months of the current campaign after undergoing ankle surgery, finally returning to Premier League action in December's 3-1 victory over Cardiff City.
However, he has failed to score in his 12 league appearances this season, and now faces the possibility of several months on the injury table after potentially aggravating his ankle issue.
That Andy Carroll bicycle kick! @BassetGold #GoldMoments pic.twitter.com/1lMyujdPwz
— West Ham United (@WestHamUtd) December 8, 2018
West Ham are investigating the severity of Carroll's latest issue, before they make a final decision on whether to extend the towering striker's stay at the club.
The club have the option to automatically add two years to Carroll's current £90,000-a-week contract, but there are doubts as to whether the Hammers would be willing to make such a financial commitment to a player who has failed to register more than 15 league starts since joining permanently in 2013.
They were heavily linked with a move for a new striker in the January transfer window, with Chelsea's Michy Batshuayi and Celta Vigo's Maxi Gomez thought to be high on their wish list. Gomez was the subject of serious interest from the Hammers, and it is thought that they will reignite their pursuit of the 22-year-old in the summer.
West Ham were reluctant to pay Gomez's £42m release clause, but that same clause could drop to £22m if Celta, currently 18th in La Liga, are relegated.
Source : 90min