Former Liverpool and Newcastle United striker Andy Carroll is close to joining French fourth tier side FC Girondins de Bordeaux.
The deal has not been signed but Bordeaux are confident of completing the signing of the 35-year-old from Ligue 2 side Amiens.
Carroll moved to France last summer to join Amiens from Reading. He featured in their opening four matches of the 2024-25 campaign, but just one of those appearances has come from the start.
Amiens sporting director John Williams is currently assisting Bordeaux with their recruitment as they rebuild the squad following their relegation to Championnat National 2.
Bordeaux suffered an administrative double relegation to National 2 this summer after not being able to provide financial guarantees ahead of the 2024-25 season.
Liverpool’s owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) had been in discussions to buy the French club as part of their plans to expand into a multi-club model, but later withdrew from discussions.
Bordeaux subsequently filed for bankruptcy and lost their professional status.
Carroll made 31 appearances and scored four goals for Amiens last season following his switch from Reading, a move that marked the first time he had played domestic football outside England.
The Newcastle academy product scored 54 goals in 248 Premier League games in a top-flight career spanning over 10 years.
He became Liverpool’s record signing when he moved to Anfield from Newcastle for £35million on deadline day in January 2011, but he scored just 11 goals in 18 months before joining West Ham United in 2013.
He returned to Newcastle in 2019 before moving to Reading, West Bromwich Albion and then Reading again in 2022.
Carroll was capped nine times by England between 2010 and 2012, scoring twice, and was included in Roy Hodgson’s squad at Euro 2012.
Bordeaux are six-time champions of France and reached the Champions League quarter-finals in 2009-10 but have endured financial difficulties in recent years. The club were placed into administration in 2021 and were relegated to Ligue 2 at the end of the 2021-22 season.
The club counts French greats Zinedine Zidane and Jean Tigana among their former players, and Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni is a recent product of their youth system.
They have already recruited former Newcastle winger Amadou Diallo this summer and have begun the season with two draws and a loss.
(Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
