'Deal done' - Ex West Ham, Liverpool and West Brom £15m bagsman to join bankrupt French side

Former West Ham and Newcastle United striker Andy Carroll is set to complete a curveball move to fourth-tier French side Bordeaux in the latest step of his journeyman career in football.

The 35-year-old, who spent seven years with the Hammers between 2012 and 2019, is currently playing for Ligue 2 side Amiens. Carroll joined the club last summer after his release from Reading following the Royals' relegation to League One in 2023. L’Equipe reports that the player’s latest transfer will be announced this week.

The striker has made 35 appearances for Amiens but is believed to have been convinced by Bordeaux head of recruitment John Williams to switch sides - Williams was the man behind Carroll's move to Amiens last summer.

Bordeaux were recently stripped of professional status and relegated to National 2 amid financial difficulties. The club finished 12th in Ligue 2 last season but the Direction Nationale du Controle de Gestion imposed a relegation to the third tier. That fate was then worsened to the fourth tier as financial woes continued, as reported by NewcastleWorld.

Bordeaux are six-time champions of France and were playing Europa League football as recently as 2019. The team is managed by former Spain international Albert Riera.

Carroll made 142 appearances for West Ham during his time at the club, scoring 34 goals and registering 16 assists. The forward initially arrived at the Hammers on loan from Liverpool in 2012 before the London outfit paid £15 million to make that move permanent 12 months later.

As with large parts of his career, Carroll's time at West Ham was ravaged by injury. His most successful Premier League campaign came during the 2015/16 season when he managed nine top flight goals - that included a memorable hat-trick in a 3-3 draw against Arsenal.

Carroll returned to his boyhood club of Newcastle United in 2019, where he stayed for two seasons. Then came a brief, but somewhat successful, Championship spell at West Brom in 2022 with three goals in 15 appearances. The striker then scored 11 goals in 42 appearances for Reading before heading to France.