8:51AM, Thu Aug 23, 2012

Liverpool Manager Brendan Rodgers Says He Would 'Need To Be A Nutcase' To Let Andy Carroll Leave

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has claimed he would 'need to be a nutcase' to let striker Andy Carroll leave Anfield on loan.

Sky Bet

£10 Free Bet
- Sky Bet are offering all new customers a £10 Free Bet Claim your free bet now

Rodgers hit out at Newcastle for trying to get Carroll - a player they sold to the Merseysiders for £35million in January 2011 - back on the cheap.

The Reds boss, who had previously hinted a move could be on the cards, insisted he did not have enough depth in his squad to let the England striker leave without raising funds for a replacement.

"There is absolutely no chance [of a loan deal] - and certainly not Newcastle," Rodgers said.

"Newcastle got £35m for this player last year. To even consider wanting to take him on loan is a liberty really.

"We have got a very small squad as it is. We have lost a lot of players this summer and I have not replaced them, as of yet. That is the reality of where we are.

"I need a minimum of three strikers. Once the window shuts, that is it until January. I have got (Luis) Suarez, Fabio Borini, and Andy Carroll.

"I would need to be a nutcase even to consider at this moment to let Carroll go out, unless there are other solutions for that."

Newcastle and other clubs were alerted to Carroll's potential availability in July when Rodgers suggested he would be open to a loan move for the 23-year-old if it "can benefit the club in the long term".

However, the offer made by Newcastle - reported to be a loan move with a view to a £12million permanent return to Tyneside with Liverpool still responsible for a sizeable chunk of his wages in the meantime - has particularly irked Rodgers.

Related tags: Sport

Related tags: Football

Transfer Talk: Reported Sunderland Target Mbokani Hoping For Premier League Move

Related tags: Newcastle

Barclays Premier League

Pos	Team	P	Pts
14	Southampton	38	41
15	Aston Villa	38	41
16	Newcastle United	38	41
17	Sunderland	38	39
18	Wigan Athletic	38	36

Fixtures & Results

April

Europa League Group D - Thu 4
FT	Benfica	3-1	Newcastle
Barclays Premier League - Sun 7
FT	Newcastle	1-0	Fulham
Europa League Group D - Thu 11
FT	Newcastle	1-1	Benfica
Barclays Premier League - Sun 14
FT	Newcastle	0-3	Sunderland
Barclays Premier League - Sat 20
FT	West Brom	1-1	Newcastle
Barclays Premier League - Sat 27
FT	Newcastle	0-6	Liverpool

May

Barclays Premier League - Sat 4
FT	West Ham	0-0	Newcastle
Barclays Premier League - Sun 12
FT	QPR	1-2	Newcastle
Barclays Premier League - Sun 19
FT	Newcastle	0-1	Arsenal