Crouch also to stay

Benítez also revealed that a new contract for Crouch is on the agenda, despite the 27-year-old's frustration with a lack of playing time this season and arguably because he can soon invoke Article 17 of Fifa's regulations on the status and transfer of players. That effectively entitles players to buy out their contracts if they have fulfilled three years of a four- or five-year contract and are under the age of 28.
Players over 28 can buy out their contracts after two years following the former Hearts defender Andy Webster's successful appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. "We have been talking about a new contract with Crouch and the player has told me that he wants to stay," said Benítez. "The agent was talking to Rick Parry and said that the player wanted to talk."