Liverpool Agree Fee With West Ham for Andy Carroll

From the Twitter feed of Ben Smith at the BBC:

#LFC & West Ham agree fee in region of £15m for Andy Carroll. Player yet to decide if he wants the move. More on @bbcsport

— Ben Smith (@BenSmithBBC) May 21, 2013

I guess this kicks off the transfer season for Liverpool, eh?

Something was always coming with Andy Carroll, no matter how much those of us who'd developed a sentimental attachment to the player tried to convince ourselves that he had a future at Liverpool. The fee seems agreeable enough, just a few million pounds below a valuation that most felt would be fair, and it's with a club who are invested in giving him the playing time he wants and, on this season's evidence, deserves.

Carroll's decision will ultimately settle--or unsettle, as it were--the deal, but you'd have to imagine that the commitment shown by the London club will go a long way in influencing his decision. Newcastle may yet come back into the picture, as there's plenty of time left in the window, they're the sentimental choice, and having a fee agreed for a permanent move to West Ham isn't exactly uncharted territory.

For now, though, it looks like the Great Andy Carroll Debate of 2013 won't be raging on much longer.

Read More: Allardyce Seeks to Build West Ham Around Carroll