Crouch completes Pompey medical

Updated 08.29 Wed Jul 09 2008

Keywords: harry redknapp, rafael benitez, peter crouch, portsmouth, liverpool, football, premier league, sport

Peter Crouch has completed a medical at Portsmouth and is poised to finalise his move from Liverpool.

It has emerged the England striker turned down a contract offer from Liverpool and manager Rafael Benitez claims he wanted Crouch to stay.

"He wanted to play a lot more" - Rafael Benitez

He said: "He is a good professional and a nice person, and we would have wanted him to stay. We offered him a new contract.

"But sometimes you have to understand the player. He wanted to play a lot more, and with Fernando Torres now first choice, that was always going to be difficult.

"I can understand Peter's situation. But he did very well for this club and we always supported him when people doubted the decision to bring him to Anfield."

Benitez is working to sign a replacement for Crouch and confirmed he is interested in Valencia's David Villa.

Benitez added: "We have Torres, Andriy Voronin, Dirk Kuyt, Ryan Babel and Steven Gerrard, who can play as a second striker.

"But we will try to bring in another option. Villa is a player we know all about and he is on our list. But maybe it will be difficult."