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Alan Pardew says ­Newcastle’s bid to lure Andy Carroll back to Tyneside is in the hands of club owner Mike Ashley.

The store tycoon will have the final say on whether to push through a deal with Liverpool and how far to improve their loan bid.

England striker Carroll has told Liverpool he only wants to leave on loan, and not permanently, this season with Newcastle in prime position.

The Geordies will go in with an improved bid, which might include a fee in excess of £13million if Carroll is a success, or a bigger slice of his £80,000-a-week wages.

Whether the deal is done depends on how desperate Liverpool are to get rid of their £35m buy and their need to recoup some cash for further spending.

(Image: PA)

Liverpool’s negotiating stance is that they will only accept firm bids of £20m – and not a loan deal.

Newcastle boss Pardew said: “That whole process is a little bit more involved with the chairman and the board at Liverpool. We’ve got a great team here, a great squad, and if Andy Carroll comes it’ll only add to us.

“It’s simple really. Sometimes transfers are done at corporate level. I’m slightly detached from it.

“It’s been said he’s available and if we’re involved then we’ll be involved because of the figures, not anything else, because we know he’s good enough.”

Newcastle launched their attempt to re-sign the man they sold to Liverpool for £35m in January last year after it emerged that he was not a central figure in new Reds boss Brendan Rodgers' plans for the new season.

(Image: Jamie McDonald)

Carroll was not among the party which flew out on the club's North American tour yesterday, although he was never intended to be after being given an extended break following his trip to the Euro 2012 finals with England.

The player, who insists he does not want to leave Anfield, has indicated he would be prepared to make a temporary switch back to St James' Park, where he made his name, although Liverpool are understood to be ready only to contemplate a permanent transfer.

However, their valuation, thought to be in the region of £20m, is significantly in excess of the Magpies', and whether or not that gap can be bridged could prove to be the crux of the matter.

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