Club Brugge have passed on the opportunity to sign Andy Carroll, despite the striker cutting short his honeymoon in an effort to sign for the Belgian champions.
Carroll spent last season in the Championship, playing for Reading before agreeing a short-term deal with West Bromwich Albion in the new year. However, after scoring three times for the Baggies in 15 league appearances, he left the Hawthorns at the end of the campaign.
The former Newcastle, Liverpool and West Ham frontman left his honeymoon in Mexico to jet in for a series of tests in Belgium. However, despite his efforts, the Champions League side opted against a move.
According to HLN (via The Mail ), a proposed trial period for the 33-year-old has been cancelled. Carroll reportedly underwent a series of physical and mental tests as Brugge considered a move, but the club will be looking elsewhere.
Club Brugge won the end-of-season play-offs in Belgium last season to claim the title after finishing second behind Union SG in the regular season. They have a number of former Premier League players in their squad, including ex-Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet and one-time Fulham defender Denis Odoi.
They are managed by former Belgium international defender Carl Hoefkens, after previous boss Alfred Schreuder took over at Ajax. Hoefkens, like Carroll, spent time playing for West Brom earlier in his career.
Where will Andy Carroll be playing next season? Have your say in the comments section
Club Brugge have already begun their preparations for the new season by signing Ferran Jutgla from Barcelona. The striker, who only joined Barca in 2021, scored in his first start for the Catalan club last season.
The Belgian side will go straight into the group stages of the Champions League after winning their domestic title. Last season, they finished bottom of their group behind Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig.
Brugge's rejection is another blow for Carroll, who has now gone 10 years since his most recent appearance for the England national team. He has scored just 10 times across the last five seasons, with only four of those goals coming in the Premier League.
Carroll's decision to cut short his honeymoon came after he was photographed in bed with another woman during his stag do. However, the woman in question insisted nothing had gone on between them.
The footballer married his long-term partner Billi Mucklow in June, with the pair having been engaged since 2014 when Carroll was playing for West Ham. The couple travelled to Tulum, Mexico for their honeymoon before the England international set off for Belgium in a fruitless attempt to find a new club.
