West Ham United boss Sam Allardyce admits he's desperate to land Liverpool striker Andy Carroll.

Allardyce believes Carroll's close relationship with his captain, Kevin Nolan, represents a "slight positive" but fears West Ham's chances of signing the £35million striker are slim.

The West Ham boss said: "We would dearly love to have Andy Carroll with us but it is a complex situation and he is in no hurry, he doesn't have to make a quick decision if he doesn't want to.

"If Andy is going to leave Liverpool, he can wait and see how many are interested.

"The fact, though, that Kevin is a good friend of Andy's is a slight positive because, if he came here, he wouldn't be going into a strange environment which would make it easier for him to integrate."