Crouch closes in on Portsmouth move

Liverpool on Monday gave Portsmouth permission to open talks with their England international striker Peter Crouch.

Pompey have previously had one bid, believed to be 9 million pounds (17.7 million dollars), turned down.

But Liverpool revealed they had reached an agreement with their Premier League rivals, opening the way for negotiations between the south-coast club and their former player.

“We have reached a verbal agreement with Portsmouth and have given them permission to speak with Peter,” a spokesman told the club's website.

Crouch joined Liverpool for 7 million pounds from Southampton, having previously played for Pompey in 2001-02.