Saturday, July 18, 2009

Redknapp eying moves for Crouch, Delph, McCarthy

Tottenham could become involved in the transfer market very quickly in coming days, as Harry Redknapp is suddenly being linked with moves for a slew of players. Most notable among those is Portsmouth striker Peter Crouch, the 6'7 English international who 'Arry has already purchased twice in his career.

Crouch, who has also drawn the interest of Sunderland and Fullham, is one of the better English strikers in the game at the moment and, due to his size, certainly one of the most unique. His goal scoring rate, however, fell off rapidly last season after Redknapp moved to Spurs, taking Jermaine Defoe with him. It is certainly worth noting, also, that Crouch's stats aren't quite as good as he seems to be remembered, as he scored 22 goals in 85 appearances with Liverpool and 11 goals in 35 games last season with Portsmouth.

As long as there are other players available, Redknapp should avoid a move for Crouch who, while an interesting target man, simply doesn't produce enough to be a particularly valuable player for any side.

There are many better ways to spend £12 million.

One of those ways may be registering an interest in Leeds United midfielder Fabian Delph, a young Englishman who has been one of the top prospects in England for two seasons now. Leeds, which is notable for producing excellent midfielders (Aaron Lennon included), reportedly want somewhere between £5 and £6 million for Delph.

The central midfielder would be an excellent addition for Spurs, but doing so would almost certainly mean the end of either Tom Huddlestone or Jermaine Jenas, as Luka Modric and Wilson Palacios are solidified in the starting central midfield spots. It would, however, likely be a move that pays off in the future and could also help Spurs prepare for the rumored FIFA 5+6 rules. Delph has also been strongly linked with Marin O'Neill's Aston Villa, who appear to be the favorites in the race for his signature.

Another move to the future would be the signing of Hamilton Academical striker James McCarthy, who has been strongly linked with a move to Wigan. McCarthy is a legitimate prospect, something affirmed by Wigan's interest. He does not, however, appear likely to move to Spurs, as Roberto Martinez's club are more interested in the player and could offer playing time pretty quickly.

Tottenham have reportedly not offered a concrete bid for McCarthy yet.

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