Peter Crouch set for medical as Portsmouth move nears
PETER CROUCH'S Liverpool career was today drawing to a close after he was given permission to undergo a medical with Portsmouth.
Liverpool have accepted an offer from the South Coast club which matched their valuation of the player, who has entered the final year of his contract.
Portsmouth will pay £8m up front if the deal goes through as expected, and that figure could rise to £11m over the course of Crouch's contract at Portsmouth with lucrative add-ons having been included in the proposed deal.
Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United were all interested in signing the 27-year-old, but none of them could match the terms being offered to Crouch by Pompey boss Harry Redknapp.
Having seen his first team chances become increasingly restricted at Anfield during last season Crouch is keen to quit Anfield and move somewhere where he is guaranteed regular football.
Portsmouth have given him that opportunity and once the formalities of the medical are complete the England man will become their record signing.
Reds boss Rafa Benitez is hopeful that the departure of Crouch will signal the start of serious business being done in the transfer market as he looks to bring the long running saga over Gareth Barry's future to a swift conclusion.
Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill remains steadfast that he will not accept anything but £18m for Barry, a valuation which Liverpool are not willing to meet.
O'Neill has signalled that he would accept Steve Finnan in part exchange but Liverpool will only allow this to happen if the total package for Barry is in keeping with their own valuation.
Meanwhile, Brazilian goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri has arrived on Merseyside as Benitez edges closer to tieing up a deal which will see the 25-year-old become Pepe Reina's understudy.
Cavalieri was given permission to miss Palmeiras' league match against Atletico Mineiro at the weekend after Liverpool agreed a £3m transfer fee with his club.
The 25-year-old keeper's imminent arrival will push Charles Itandje closer to the Anfield exit door, although a proposed £2m move to Galatasaray is not clear cut after the Turkish club refused to meet his contract demands.
Liverpool remain hopeful that a deal will be concluded however as they bid to recoup a sizeable chunk of the Cavalieri fee.
tonybarrett@liverpoolecho.co.uk
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