The West Ham front four that could have been if they landed this key deal

Andy Carroll

Andy Carroll’s return to full fitness has been a welcome boost for a West Ham strikeforce which had managed just one Premier League goal between them before his return.

Only Diafra Sakho had netted in the league before the English forward scored his first of the campaign in their 5-1 defeat to Arsenal on December 3, and since then Carroll has gone from strength to strength.

The 28-year-old scored in the win over Swansea on Boxing Day and volleyed home a goal-of-the-season contender in the 3-0 success over Crystal Palace last month, which must have helped inspire him to a brace in the 3-1 victory over Middlesbrough a week later.

With everything that went on with Dimitri Payet, having Carroll back gave the club a huge boost during a testing time, and keeping him fit between now and May will be crucial in their bid to record back-to-back top half finishes in the Premier League.