Manchester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has reportedly earmarked Liverpool striker Peter Crouch as his top January transfer target - but he may have to negotiate a swap deal with the Anfield club to land him.
Sven-Goran Eriksson became a Peter Crouch fan when he was manager of England and selected the forward for the national team. Now he sees him as the player to give his promising City side an extra dimenbsion and a more consistent goal threat.
Eriksson has been tipped for weeks to be lining up a bid for Crouch, whose first-team opportunities at Liverpool have been restricted since the Anfield arrivals of Fernando Torres and Andriy Voronin.
However, the Manchester Evening News suggests that Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez, who is known to be keen to bring in more new faces, and who (says the paper) has been told by his American bosses that he has very little money to spend this January, might favour a swap deal.
The men describes Benitez as a 'known admirer' of City's England Under-21 pair, Michael Johnson and Nedum Onuoha.
City's prized asset is Micah Richards, but although he has yet to sign a new £50,000 a week contract at Eastlands as he changes agents, City owner Thaksin Shinawatra is determined to resist any attempts to lure the England defender away.
Shinawatra's vision is to achieve European qualification for City with a team that is a blend of overseas superstars and Academy graduates.
Meanwhile Mexico striker Nery Castillo is not eligible for tonight's Premier League clash at Newcastle because the League's offices were not open to register him yesterday. The rule is that a player's name must be with the authorities 24 hours before he can be selected.
Castillo has arrived at City on a £3million, 12-month loan deal from Ukraine side Shakhtar Donetsk, but he will be available to play for City in Saturday's FA Cup third round tie at West Ham.
His arrival at Eastlands marked the staret of the second phase of Eriksson's recruitment drive.
The Swede, who has steered City to an impressive first half of the season, brought in eight players during his initial spending spree last summer.
But his priority this month is to sign a top striker.
Eriksson said: "We are talking to agents and we are trying in this country as well as abroad. I think something else will happen in January and we will be having meetings over the next few days.
“But it is difficult because we are working and the rest of Europe is on holiday, so it is hard to talk to people right now.”
Sven-Goran Eriksson became a Peter Crouch fan when he was manager of England and selected the forward for the national team. Now he sees him as the player to give his promising City side an extra dimenbsion and a more consistent goal threat.
Eriksson has been tipped for weeks to be lining up a bid for Crouch, whose first-team opportunities at Liverpool have been restricted since the Anfield arrivals of Fernando Torres and Andriy Voronin.
However, the Manchester Evening News suggests that Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez, who is known to be keen to bring in more new faces, and who (says the paper) has been told by his American bosses that he has very little money to spend this January, might favour a swap deal.
The men describes Benitez as a 'known admirer' of City's England Under-21 pair, Michael Johnson and Nedum Onuoha.
City's prized asset is Micah Richards, but although he has yet to sign a new £50,000 a week contract at Eastlands as he changes agents, City owner Thaksin Shinawatra is determined to resist any attempts to lure the England defender away.
Shinawatra's vision is to achieve European qualification for City with a team that is a blend of overseas superstars and Academy graduates.
Meanwhile Mexico striker Nery Castillo is not eligible for tonight's Premier League clash at Newcastle because the League's offices were not open to register him yesterday. The rule is that a player's name must be with the authorities 24 hours before he can be selected.
Castillo has arrived at City on a £3million, 12-month loan deal from Ukraine side Shakhtar Donetsk, but he will be available to play for City in Saturday's FA Cup third round tie at West Ham.
His arrival at Eastlands marked the staret of the second phase of Eriksson's recruitment drive.
The Swede, who has steered City to an impressive first half of the season, brought in eight players during his initial spending spree last summer.
But his priority this month is to sign a top striker.
Eriksson said: "We are talking to agents and we are trying in this country as well as abroad. I think something else will happen in January and we will be having meetings over the next few days.
“But it is difficult because we are working and the rest of Europe is on holiday, so it is hard to talk to people right now.”
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