Peter Crouch’s speculated departure to Portsmouth will be completed this week, according to reports in the national media this Monday morning. The two clubs are believed to have agreed a fee £11m, with £8m up front and £3m in additions.
According to The Independent the fee was finally agreed on Sunday afternoon after Liverpool had rejected an initial bid of £9m for the England interntional.
Update: An LFC spokesman has confirmed the agreement of a fee for the player: “We have reached a verbal agreement with Portsmouth and have given them permission to speak with Peter.”
Crouch has one year remaining on his contract after arriving at Liverpool from Southampton in 2005 and will return to the South Coast where he played for Pompey in 2001-02. After a slow start to his Anfield career the 6ft 7inch striker soon began to hit the net and has scored 42 goals in 135 appearances – including some memorable goals such as the overhead kicks against Galatasaray and Bolton.
Most Liverpool fans will be somewhat saddended to see Crouch leave but with his contract situation and Rafa Benitez’s seemingly looking to stick with the 4-2-3-1 formation, it is clear why Crouch must leave. Crouch will team up with Harry Redknapp and play alongside fellow England forward Jermaine Defoe. Liverpool will make a £4m profit on what they paid Southampton in the summer of 2005.
The money raised from Crouch’s departure is expected to be put towards the potential purchases of Gareth Barry and Robbie Keane.
Elsewhere, Scott Carson is being linked with another loan move – to Stoke City – and Steve Finnan is being linked as the makeweight in the Barry deal.
See also: Rumour Mill
Liverpool players who were on international duty following the end of the season, excluding those who took part in Euro 2008, will return to training at Melwood this morning.
