• Premier League

Stoke launch bids for Crouch & Palacios

ESPN staff
August 10, 2011
Peter Crouch scored four times in the Premier League last season © PA Photos
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Stoke City have issued a take-it-or-leave-it offer to Tottenham Hotspur for striker Peter Crouch and midfielder Wilson Palacios.

Reports suggest the clubs have been in talks for several weeks over a fee for the duo, and now Stoke are looking to bring the matter to a resolution ahead of the start of the Premier League season on Saturday.

"We've made our last bid, the ball is in their court. We shall not be negotiating from where we are," Stoke chairman Peter Coates told BBC Sport. "The last conversation I had with Spurs, we had not agreed anything. We'll see what happens, but we haven't got any further."

Spurs are willing to offload a host of fringe players as they attempt to generate funds in order to sign a new striker. Giuseppe Rossi and Emmanuel Adebayor have been heavily linked to Harry Redknapp's side, but so far he has been unable to secure any deals.

Despite their reputation as an entertaining side, Tottenham were shot-shy last season, with midfielder Rafael van der Vaart their top scorer in the Premier League with 13.

Palacios, who joined Spurs in 2009 for £12m from Wigan, found himself behind Luka Modric and Tom Huddlestone in the midfield pecking order last season, making 16 league starts. Rumours are circulating that Redknapp is poised to swoop for Real Madrid's Lassana Diarra, a move that would push Palacios further out of the first-team picture.

Crouch, 30, has struggled to find the net ever since making the move to White Hart Lane, nabbing just 12 goals from 72 Premier League starts since joining for £9m.

FA Cup finalists Stoke have already raided Tottenham once this summer, picking up Jonathan Woodgate on a free transfer after his contract expired with the Londoners. Earlier this week he was joined by free agent Matthew Upson, who penned a two-year deal at the Britannia.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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