West Brom will not be offering Andy Carroll a new deal, with the striker having already played his last game for the club.

The target man joined Albion earlier this year after an injury to Daryl Dike left the side short of natural number nines. And, whilst he has only managed three goals in 15 since, he has arguably been the Baggies best player since arriving.

The support had taken to the former England striker due to the commitment and effort he showed on the pitch, but it hasn't been enough to win him a longer deal at The Hawthorns.

That's after The Athletic revealed that Steve Bruce has informed Carroll that he will be leaving in the summer, and it's been decided he won't feature in the final two games of the campaign as a result.

The reasons for the decision are believed to be based around Bruce's feeling that his presence in the team forces a long-ball style, with the hope of introducing a more possession based approach next season.

Furthermore, Dike is expected to be a key figure moving forward, so Carroll's wages will be better spent elsewhere.

The verdict

This is surprising because Carroll had been one of few positives for Albion in the past few months, impressing with his determination and fight when pulling on the shirt.

Although, it's a sad reflection of the rest of the squad that the fans took to a player so much just because he was putting in a lot of effort.

In terms of the reasoning, you can understand Bruce's point, as there is always a temptation to play direct quickly with Carroll in the team, and Dike's return should mean Carroll wouldn't be needed as much. So, there is logic to the call, even if it's still a brave decision.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.