Today's most viewed
Ex-Saints stars on the move
 |
| Peter Crouch |
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has admitted he wanted to keep Peter Crouch as the England striker prepares to complete his move to Portsmouth.
Crouch, top scorer at Saints in 2004/05 before his £7m switch to Anfield, has completed a medical at Fratton Park and the finer points of his £11million move back to the south coast are almost complete with Pompey likely to formally confirm the move tomorrow.
But Benitez has pre-emptied Crouch's final departure from Merseyside by saying: "He is a good professional and a nice person, and we would have wanted him to stay. We offered him a new contract.
"But sometimes you have to understand the player. He wanted to play a lot more, and with Fernando Torres now first choice, that was always going to be difficult.
"I can understand Peter's situation. But he did very well for this club and we always supported him when people doubted the decision to bring him to Anfield."
Benitez made it clear that he will now try to sign a replacement striker, and refused to rule out a possible move for Spanish star David Villa.
He said: "We have Torres, Andriy Voronin, Dirk Kuyt, Ryan Babel and Steven Gerrard, who can play as a second striker.
Crouch was Pompey's top scorer in 2001/02 prior to winning a £5m transfer to Aston Villa.
Saints stand to make around £500,000 from the deal as they had a sell-on clause inserted in Crouch's Liverpool contract.
West Brom manager Tony Mowbray, meanwhile, is ready to admit defeat in the battle to keep striker Kevin Phillips after admitting he is reluctant to offer a two-year contract to a 35-year-old player.
Former Saints striker Phillips, last season's leading scorer with 24 goals, is out of contract at The Hawthorns and would prefer a deal which keeps him at the club until the summer of 2010.
But that has been offered instead by Saints' Championship rivals Birmingham, for whom he is now expected to sign, with Albion only keen on a 12-month extension.
Mowbray admitted: "The stumbling block is around the terms of the contract and my strong belief that I find it very hard to start handing out two-year contracts to 35-year-old - however well they've done.
"If Kevin wants to stay, then he should back his ability and earn a second year - which is not a big task on the contract that was put in front of him.
"I respect Kevin, he's a top man and top professional and, if he decides on the other option available to him, then good luck to him. But it's unlikely he'll stay here as things stand at the moment.
"His preferred choice would be to stay here I'm sure but if there's a stumbling block that we can't overcome, then so be it."
Mowbray added: "I spoke to Kevin over the last few days but he leaves things in the hands of his advisors who are out of the country.
"Kevin is out of contract so he can do what he wants but he will want to get back on the training ground soon. It's out of our hands but no one individual is bigger than the team.
"Nothing will change but, if Kevin decides to sign for us, that would be great.
"I am sure that the boy wants it resolved first and foremost. I am sure he wants to get back on the training ground and get working."
Phillips remains Saints' second most expensive signing ever when he arrived at St Mary's for £3.25m from Sunderland five years ago. He left for Aston Villa following relegation in 2005.
7:44am Wednesday 9th July 2008
Print 
Email this 
CommentPosted by: Condor Man, Southampton on 7:57am Wed 9 Jul 08
Phillips was always a strange one so it's not surprising he's done this. I'd be looking for one last season at the top rather than two just below. Maybe Brum are offering more cash, after all he had to take a 50% pay cut when he joined us.
Phillips was always a strange one so it's not surprising he's done this. I'd be looking for one last season at the top rather than two just below. Maybe Brum are offering more cash, after all he had to take a 50% pay cut when he joined us.
What are these links for?
If you liked this article and would like to share it with others on the web who might be searching for good content we've made it easy for you to do it.
At the bottom of all articles, you'll see links to six sites. These sites - commonly called 'social bookmark' or 'social news' sites - have large communities of web users who share and rate interesting, useful and fun things on the web.
Clicking the links will automatically add the address of the story you are reading to one of these sites, letting you share it with others. Each site will ask you to register to share stories. Registration is free and once a member, you can store, recommend and search for stories that interest you.
More on Digg
More on del.icio.us
More on Furl
More on reddit
More on NowPublic/
More on Yahoo!
