Peter Crouch £8m target of Man City

Sven-Goran Eriksson will offer Peter Crouch an escape route from Liverpool by tabling an £8 million bid for the striker in January.
The Manchester City manager has made the England international one of his top targets when the transfer window reopens to bolster City's lightweight attack.
With Valeri Bojinov sidelined with a serious knee injury and Georgios Samaras out of form, Eriksson has targeted 26-year-old Crouch as the 20-goal per season striker required by City to maintain their good form in the Premier League this season.
Crouch is a player Eriksson knows well having launched his England career while he was the national coach.
Eriksson handed Crouch his international debut back in May 2005 against Colombia while on a tour of the United States and took him to last year's World Cup finals in Germany.
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez is likely to welcome the interest shown by Manchester City as Crouch has fallen down the pecking order since the summer arrivals of Andriy Voronin and Fernando Torres.
Benitez is thought to want to offload Crouch so that he can free up some cash to spend in the transfer window himself, with the long-term future of midfielder Javier Mascherano one of his main priorities.
Crouch, who has 20 months left to run on his current deal, would equally be keen to become reunited with Eriksson as he becomes frustrated at Benitez's rotation policy.
The former Southampton striker has only started one League game this season and scored once in Liverpool's Champions League qualifier against Toulouse.

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utusanLFC : scary... Crouch has been tremendous for us. Personally, as a fan I have never doubted his ability and what a joy I had when he eventually scored twice at Wigan last season. At the moment, we have Torres and this Spaniard is oh so good. Then we have Kuyt and he is so hard working. The own goal inflicted by Villa defender was a testament to his hardworking. and we also have Voronin. This is a a gem in waiting to be discovered thoroughly. He has scored 3 goals up to now. Aside from his out-of-the-era phony hair, he can shoot a rather murderous ball. This is what made Crouch a certain dilemma. To be out of the pecking order certainly put him not in a good position to retain his involvement in the national squad. hmmm.... but can he really be sure Man City use him week in, week out?