By JOHN EDWARDS AND NEIL ASHTON
Last updated at 12:43 AM on 01st July 2008
Robbie Keane stunned Tottenham by telling them he wants to leave.
Sportsmail can reveal that Republic of Ireland striker Keane delivered his shock transfer demand after learning Liverpool had lodged a player-plus-cash bid for him on Friday.
The 28-year-old came out of a meeting at White Hart Lane having left club officials in little doubt about his eagerness to play for his boyhood idols.
Anfield manager Rafa Benitez sees Keane as the ideal strike partner for Euro 2008 match-winner Fernando Torres and is prepared to part with Peter Crouch and around £5million to make it happen.
As with his pursuit of Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry, though, Benitez is going to have to dig deeper after Tottenham rejected his initial offer and placed a £20m valuation on Keane.
Keane's desire to get away from Spurs is a bigger shock. Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard and long-serving centre back Jamie Carragher are both friends of the Irishman, who could be one of three strikers to leave Tottenham should the deal go through.
Spurs manager Juande Ramos knows Dimitar Berbatov is unsettled and he is also exploring ways of offloading Darren Bent. Apart from having to increase the cash adjustment, Benitez may also struggle to talk Crouch into being part of the package as the England striker still wishes to join Harry Redknapp at Portsmouth.
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Robbie Keane stunned Tottenham by telling them he wants to leave.
Sportsmail can reveal that Republic of Ireland striker Keane delivered his shock transfer demand after learning Liverpool had lodged a player-plus-cash bid for him on Friday.
The 28-year-old came out of a meeting at White Hart Lane having left club officials in little doubt about his eagerness to play for his boyhood idols.
Anfield manager Rafa Benitez sees Keane as the ideal strike partner for Euro 2008 match-winner Fernando Torres and is prepared to part with Peter Crouch and around £5million to make it happen.
As with his pursuit of Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry, though, Benitez is going to have to dig deeper after Tottenham rejected his initial offer and placed a £20m valuation on Keane.
Keane's desire to get away from Spurs is a bigger shock. Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard and long-serving centre back Jamie Carragher are both friends of the Irishman, who could be one of three strikers to leave Tottenham should the deal go through.
Spurs manager Juande Ramos knows Dimitar Berbatov is unsettled and he is also exploring ways of offloading Darren Bent. Apart from having to increase the cash adjustment, Benitez may also struggle to talk Crouch into being part of the package as the England striker still wishes to join Harry Redknapp at Portsmouth.
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utusanLFC:
errr... not to say Robbie Keane is not good but isn't Berbatov is a much more interesting option? And Berbatov does play like Spanish. Well... Keane has that fighting spirit... the Irish fire and may be, Rafa thought this would ignited the whole Anfield if Keane join us. errr... what a theory!
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