England international striker Peter Crouch was reunited with Harry Redknapp at English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur on Monday after completing his much-anticipated move there from Portsmouth.
The 28-year-old former Liverpool star — who played for Redknapp at Portsmouth and will also team up with former Pompey strike partner Jermain Defoe — signed for an undisclosed fee, though Spurs had been looking to sign him for around £10 million while Portsmouth had wanted £15 million.
Crouch agreed personal terms — believed to be a five-year contract worth £70,000 a week — and passed a medical with Spurs on Monday. He will be playing for 62-year-old Redknapp for the third time, having also played for him at Southampton.
Crouch began his career at Spurs as a trainee but didn’t make any first team appearances before joining QPR in 2000. He has also played for Aston Villa and for Norwich City on loan.
Portsmouth’s Web site said Crouch’s departure was purely down to financial necessity.
“His [Crouch’s] sale was necessitated by the club’s commitment to repay scheduled debts while we are in a transitional period of completing the takeover,” said a spokesman on the club’s Web site.
Portsmouth announced on July 21 that they have agreed in principle to a takeover by United Arab Emirates tycoon Sulaiman al-Fahim — the brainchild behind last year’s takeover of Manchester City — after the 32-year-old passed the Premier League’s fit and proper person test.
The statement also states that the club will now look to “add fresh faces to the first-team squad as soon as possible.”
Crouch, scorer of 16 goals in his 34 international appearances for England, had preferred to go to Spurs rather than another Premier League club Sunderland, who made a £12 million approach for him last week.
Crouch’s arrival at Spurs is likely to see Darren Bent leave for Sunderland.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY STAFF WRITER
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