Roy Hodgson the Liverpool manager, has identified Peter Crouch as his preferred attacking reinforcement as he looks to boost his resources.
Hodgson, who has spent just £3.9 million on Danny Wilson, Milan Jovanovic, Jonjo Shelvey and Joe Cole this summer, is thought to want at least three more signings before the August transfer window closes, including a left-back, a midfielder and a forward.
The Danish international Christian Poulsen is expected to arrive in a £4 million deal from Juventus this week after his agent held talks with the Premier League club on Friday, while Paul Konchesky, Hodgson's former charge at Fulham, remains his prime target for a full-back slot.
The Liverpool manager, though, knows he needs to provide Fernando Torres with both a support act and a substitute to prevent the Spanish international, who last week committed his future to the club, succumbing to another injury-blighted season.
Though Hodgson is believed to be examining a number of possibilities, Liverpool's need to boost their quota of English players has led him to consider offering Tottenham's Crouch a return to Anfield. The striker joined the club in 2006, but was sold to Portsmouth by former manager Rafael Benítez two years later.
Liverpool cannot offer Crouch the Champions League football he would enjoy at White Hart Lane, but Hodgson believes he could convince the England international to rejoin the Merseyside club.
No formal bid will be made until funds are generated by finalizing the sale of Javier Mascherano to Inter Milan, where he will be reunited with Benítez. The Italian side has not yet made Liverpool a firm offer but that deal is expected to be completed in short order when the Italian champions sell Mario Balotelli to Manchester City.
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