The Magpies, undaunted by Liverpool's swift rejection of their bid to sign the 23-year-old England striker on a season-long loan deal with a view to a permanent move, will maintain their interest in the player ... so says Alan Pardew.
Liverpool jetted off on their North American tour on Monday - Carroll is due to join them early next week after an extended holiday - and are only prepared to consider a permanent transfer for the striker.
Brendan Rodgers says he would entertain the right loan move ... but NOT to the club who got £35million for him 18 months ago.
The problem could be Carroll's £80,000-a-week wage packet, which is well above the cap Mike Ashley put on earnings.
Having finally got Alan Smith off the books, Xisco is the only "knacker" picking up daft wages and not producing the goods on the pitch.
So ... would Ashley 'bend the rules' for Carroll?
Pardew is keen to strengthen his striking department with uncertainty remaining over Demba Ba's future and Leon Best and Peter Lovenkrands having left the club this summer.
Ba's situation is likely to come to a head one way or another at the end of this month with the release-clause which would allow him to leave the club for just £7million due to expire on July 31.
After that date, any prospective buyer would have to come up with more than double that figure to secure his services.
Pardew, understandably, does not want to lose the Senegal international, but he won't have a gun put to his head, either.
Pardew will once again lose Ba and compatriot Papiss Cisse to the African Nations Cup for almost two months, which takes place in South Africa in January.
Source: FOOTYMAD
