Benítez offers Crouch and cash to lure Keane

Andy Hunter

Rafael Benítez will pursue his interest in Robbie Keane despite Tottenham's
insistence that their vice-captain is not for sale. The Liverpool manager
has proposed a cash-plus-Peter Crouch deal but the Republic of Ireland
international will have to agitate for a move to bring Benítez's pursuit to
fruition.

Keane has emerged as a leading target for Liverpool after discussions
between Anfield officials and their Spurs counterparts about Crouch, the
England international who is valued at between £10m and £12m and is also
wanted by Portsmouth, Manchester City, Newcastle and possibly Arsenal.

Benítez, encouraged by Gareth Barry's willingness to make a public request
for a move from Aston Villa, now hopes similar tactics will lure the
27-year-old Keane to Liverpool, the club he supported as a boy and who can
offer Champions League football. Tottenham instantly dismissed Liverpool's
approach last week but Benítez will persist with efforts to induce Keane to
move. A £20m-rated deal involving Crouch would suit Liverpool but should
the England forward resist a return to White Hart Lane they could put money
from his sale towards a straight cash bid.

The Liverpool manager has allocated his existing transfer budget to the
purchases of Barry and the left-back Andrea Dossena, who will finalise his
£8m transfer from Udinese this week. Further signings will be dependent on
player sales.

Benítez's exhaustive attempts to prise away the Villa captain received a
significant assist yesterday when Barry criticised his manager, Martin
O'Neill, and for the first time publicly declared his desire to leave. "My
mind's made up - I want to join Liverpool," he said. "There's no going
back; it's time for me to move on. I'm desperate to play Champions League
football and that's why I have to leave Villa.

"Villa kept saying they wanted me to stay but I have not heard from the
manager for weeks. It's seven weeks now since the season finished but while
the gaffer's found time to be a pundit for the BBC at Euro 2008 he hasn't
found the time to speak to me. Have Villa offered me anything to try to
persuade me my future is at Villa Park, not Anfield? Not a thing."

The decision on whether Everton's proposed stadium in Kirkby should be
called in by the government has been delayed. Everton were due to learn
this week whether their move would be subject to government scrutiny,
entailing a delay which would be likely to scupper the proposal because of
rising costs, but the Government Office for the North West has requested an
extra fortnight to consider the plan.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/jun/30/premierleague.liverpool