Peter Crouch closer to to Liverpool FC exit door

May 8 2008 by Nick Smith, Liverpool Daily Post

Peter Crouch

RAFAEL BENITEZ has left the door open for Peter Crouch to end his Liverpool career with a summer move.

Portsmouth are heading the chase for the England striker with an £8million offer, which would net Liverpool a £1m profit on the fee they paid Southampton for him three years ago.

Crouch yesterday revealed that his reluctance to endure another season of such limited first team opportunities was why he had stalled on the offer of a new contract since December.

Benitez yesterday revealed he had a “positive” talk with the forward last week – but Crouch is seeking more detailed discussions and reassurances on his future role after the season finishes with Sunday’s trip to Tottenham.

The 27-year-old dismissed the initial talks of a new contract as an informal “five-minute chat”. And despite Benitez being keen to retain the centre-forward as a valuable squad member, an amicable parting of the ways seems the inevitable outcome. “I was talking with him the other day and the conversation was positive,” said Benitez. “But we need to do what is best for him and best for us.

“He has one year on his contract. We know some clubs are asking about him but we need to wait and then do the best for him and for us.”

The best for Crouch, however, appears to lie elsewhere having started less than a quarter of Liverpool’s Premier League games this season.

He has scored in all of his last three games in the league but didn’t appear at any stage of either leg of the Champions League semi-final which ended in defeat to Chelsea last week.

“When all is said and done, I don’t think I can have another season like this year where I’ve started nine Premier League games,” said Crouch.

“Out of a 38-game league season, nine games is not the amount you want to be playing.

“I’ll have to speak to the manager and see what his plans are. I need to see him and sort things out. I have to find out what he wants from me next season and whether or not I can continue with that. In some ways, I want to feel wanted.

“So I’d like to speak to the manager and the club before I commit to anything and know whether or not I’ll be here next year.”

Crouch denied having any contact with Portsmouth over a return to the club where he spent just under a season until March 2003.

But he is flattered at all the attention from rival clubs, adding: “It’s always nice to know that if things did go completely wrong for me at Liverpool, I’d have options to go somewhere else. It’s not the end of the world if things don’t work out for me there.”