Newcastle to go back with second bid for Carroll

Andy Carroll was sold for £35m to Liverpool just 18 months ago (Getty Images)

Newcastle will return with an improved package in the hope of signing Andy Carroll from Liverpool on a season-long loan deal. Liverpool flatly refused the initial offer of how big a percentage of the player's £75,000-a-week salary Newcastle would agree to pay for the forthcoming season.

It is believed their opening bid was to pay less than half of the salary of a player they sold to the same club 18 months ago for £35m. However, Newcastle are determined to re-sign the 23-year-old England striker, who has told friends he is open to the idea of a return to St James' Park, despite being unhappy at Liverpool's determination to off-load him.

Carroll is currently on holiday and will not return until the end of the week, by which time Derek Llambias, the Newcastle managing director, and Alan Pardew, hope to have steered themselves into pole position to sign him.

The Newcastle hierarchy believe this is simply too good a deal to turn their back on – landing a player they were never completely comfortable with selling – at such an initial bargain price. They also believe that with Carroll, Papiss Cissé and Demba Ba they would have the firepower to maintain last season's dramatic rise, when they finished fifth, above European champions Chelsea and Liverpool, and also compete in the Europa League. Ba's future remains unsure however, with two weeks still to run when the player would be allowed to leave for just £7m.

Newcastle do, however, still face competition from West Ham for the signature of Carroll, who have not given up hope of landing the player. Manager Sam Allardyce and the West Ham board have so far come closer to matching Liverpool's figures – with a provisional figure of £17m being discussed if the deal is made permanent next summer.