Chelsea have reportedly ended their pursuit of Andy Carroll as the West Ham United striker is to miss the next four to six weeks with an ankle injury.
The 29-year-old emerged as a surprise target for the Premier League champions earlier this month, tipped to make the switch across London either on loan or on a permanent deal.
According to the Daily Mail, a permanent transfer moved a step closer to completion this week as West Ham - behind the back of manager David Moyes - agreed to offload the England international to Chelsea for £20m.
Any hope Carroll had of pushing through a deal now appears to be at an end, however, as the knock he has been carrying for the past fortnight will rule him out for at least another month.
The report claims that Moyes would have been given the funds to strengthen his squad this month, but it is now unknown whether he will be backed to bring in new players.
Carroll, meanwhile, will see a specialist to determine whether surgery is required, which would effectively sideline him for the remainder of the season.
Daniel Lewis
