Andy Carroll is going nowhere!

Andy Carroll has been the most talked about transfer target during this January transfer window, with Tottenham being the club that has been most linked with the striker.

But Alan Pardew has give the most categoric statement yet about the future of the Gateshead lad and has insisted that Carroll is not for sale.

This comes amidst yet more tiresome rumours suggeting that Tottenham are preparing a £30 million bid for the England international, although quite where the press pluck these figures from is a it of a mystery given that yesterday Redknapp dismissed a move Carroll saying that a bid for Carroll would involve silly money that Tottenham wouldn't be prepared to pay.

Hopefully this will end all the speculation, but I doubt it. Carroll is, and has always said, that he is happy and is living his dream at Newcastle, so why would he want to move right now? He is only 22 and there is plenty of time for him to move on in the future of he really wants to, although I have a feeling that Carroll will be around for a long time. It's just a feeling though as I'm not 'in the know' or anything.

Still, it shouldn't even be a thought now, not for the moment anyway, as Alan Pardew has come out and said that Carroll is not for sale. I found it in The Telegraph, but it's in loads of other papers today.

Responding to the gossip about Tottenham preapring a mega money bid, Pardew said this:

“They can put together whatever they like. He is not for sale. I am going to say it for one last time, he is not for sale.”

Sounds pretty definitive to me. How about you?

Still, I guess the rumours will persist anyway, but that was always going to happen. A young, English centre-forward who can score goals, boss a defence, is good in the air and with the ball at his feet was always going to attract attention.

It's still early days in the career of Carroll though. Just 12 months ago he was a gangly striker that looked like he would struggle to score regularly having only scored four times in the league. The transformation in that 12 months has been staggering and Carroll has scored 26 times in 41 appearances since then.

It's not just about his goalscoring though. Carroll brings more to the team than that. His workrate is exceptional and he tracks back and defends aswell. He plays with pride in the shirt.

Like a lot of the players we have nowadays!