• Premier League

Liverpool complete £35m Carroll deal

ESPN staff
January 31, 2011
Andy Carroll has become the most expensive British player ever in completing his move to Liverpool © PA Photos
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Liverpool have completed the signing of Andy Carroll from Newcastle United for a fee believed to be in excess of £35 million.

The 22-year-old striker has signed a five-and-a-half-year deal with the club that will keep him at Anfield until 2016, after successfully undergoing a medical at the club's Melwood training ground. Carroll will wear the No. 9 shirt set to be left vacant by Fernando Torres.

Carroll becomes the most expensive British signing ever, and the seventh most expensive transfer in football history - although that will become the eighth when, as expected, Torres completes his move to Chelsea.

A Liverpool statement read: "Andy Carroll has tonight completed his transfer from Newcastle United to Liverpool FC and signed a five-and-a-half-year deal that will keep him at Anfield until 2016.

"The club agreed a record transfer fee with Newcastle earlier in the day for the transfer of the England international striker. The deal was subject to the completion of a medical, which the player has now passed. Andy Carroll will wear the No. 9 shirt for Liverpool."

While Carroll has been in impressive form this season, scoring 11 goals in the Premier League and winning his first international cap, the size of the transfer fee has raised eyebrows, exceeding as it does the £30.3 million Manchester United paid Leeds for Rio Ferdinand in 2002.

Following Torres' exit, Carroll will play alongside Luis Suarez, who completed his £22.7 million move from Ajax to Liverpool earlier on Monday night.

Meanwhile, on a day when they signed Stephen Ireland on loan from Aston Villa and attempted to bing Wigan winger Charles N'Zogbia back to the club, Newcastle also loaned striker Xisco to Deportivo La Coruna.

Xisco said on the Depor website: "I'm returning to my home. Deportivo have given me everything and I've come here focused on helping the team reach their objectives."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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