Green Street Hammers
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Is Andy Carroll the most underrated striker in the Premier League?

By Scott Johnson

SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 04: Andy Carroll of West Ham United celebrates scoring his sides first goal during the Premier League match between Southampton and West Ham United at St Mary's Stadium on February 4, 2017 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 04: Andy Carroll of West Ham United celebrates scoring his sides first goal during the Premier League match between Southampton and West Ham United at St Mary's Stadium on February 4, 2017 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images) /
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LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 24: Andy Carroll of Liverpool lands in among the kop after leaping over the advertisment hoardings during the Barclays Premier League match between Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield on September 24, 2011 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 24: Andy Carroll of Liverpool lands in among the kop after leaping over the advertisment hoardings during the Barclays Premier League match between Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield on September 24, 2011 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) /

Too Pricey

When Liverpool signed Andy Carroll from Newcastle for 35m, no-one outside Merseyside thought it was a good deal. He was exceptionally inexperienced to move for that sort of money, and it did affect him.

More from Green Street Hammers - West Ham

However the 15m West Ham paid for him is par for the course now. Any goalscoring forward will move for at least that, and given the fees paid for strikers with no experience in the Premier League over the past 18month West Ham’s fee for Andy Carroll is looking more and more like a bargain every day.

And any fee has to be considered against the contribution. The fee City paid for Aguero was nothing in comparison to winning their first Premier League title. The fee Liverpool paid for Suarez was nothing considering his talent and the fee they received. What Chelsea paid for Torres was crazy money, because he barely did anything at the club.

Given that Carroll is outperforming Ibrahimovic and Sanchez in terms of goals per 90 minutes this season, the fee West Ham paid out is pretty good. Slaven Bilic has shown that he has faith in the striker and his style of play. He even went on to say that the striker was priceless to him.

Next: Could Mancini take West Ham to the Champions League?

Quite simply Andy Carroll is a top striker. And whilst his unfashionable style of play and injury record may stop him moving to a top club, his ability on the pitch shouldn’t be doubted at all. If he makes the starting lineup, he’s going to cause any defence problems.