Stoke City: Crouch seals club record transfer!
STOKE CITY have completed a momentous transfer deadline day by securing the Club record £10 million signature of England striker Peter Crouch.
The 6ft 7in frontman put pen-to-paper on a four year deal with the Potters which means he follows former Spurs team-mates Wilson Palacios and Jonathan Woodgate to the Britannia Stadium in the summer transfer window.
Crouch's signing followed hot on the heels of the captures of Palacios from Tottenham and fellow striker Cameron Jerome from Birmingham City.
The initial deal is £10million, but it could rise to £12 million, significantly higher than the £8 million City paid to Sunderland for Kenwyne Jones 12 months ago.
"These fantastic deals are a statement of this Football Club's intent," said City's Chief Executive Tony Scholes after completing the triple transfer swoop. "The Club has made incredible strides forward over the past five years and to attract players of this calibre shows our ambitions as we look to continue that progress this season and beyond that.
Manager Tony Pulis added: "There has been a real buzz of excitement around the city about where this Club is going since we reached the FA Cup Final and then started our Europa League adventure. These signings certainly add to that great sense of anticipation."
"We now have good options in midfield and up front with these captures add to the experienced additions we also made at the back by bringing in two England defenders Jonathan Woodgate and Matthew Upson earlier in the transfer window.
"Peter has an excellent goalscoring record at the highest level. His goals-per-games ratio for England is remarkable and he scored seven goals in 10 Champions League games for Tottenham last season which gives you an idea of his pedigree."
The transfer brings to an end Crouch's second stint with Spurs, having begun his career in north London before he returned there in 2009 to link up with Harry Redknapp for a third time following spells at Southampton and Portsmouth.
The 6ft 7in striker has also enjoyed successful spells with Aston Villa, Liverpool and Portsmouth during his prolific career while he has made a big impact on the international stage by scoring 22 goals in his 42 England appearances.
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Tottenham confirm sale of Peter Crouch to Stoke City!
Stoke City have completed the signing of striker Peter Crouch from Tottenham on a four-year contract for an initial fee of £10 million.
The Spurs forward heads to the Britannia Stadium along with Honduran midfielder Wilson Palacios, while former Tottenham team-mate Jonathan Woodgate arrived on a free transfer earlier in the summer. Crouch's total fee could rise to £12m depending on add-ons.
Having returned to Spurs, where he graduated from the club's youth academy, the England international scored 24 goals in 93 appearances, including the goal against Manchester City that secured them Champions League football for the 2010-11 season.
Crouch would go on to lead his side to the quarter-finals of the premier European club competition, including a memorable strike during their 1-0 victory against AC Milan at San Siro.
The striker arrives alongside fellow deadline-day signing Cameron Jerome, as manager Tony Pulis completed an impressive summer recruitment drive.
Pulis told Stoke's official website: "There has been a real buzz of excitement around the city about where this club is going since we reached the FA Cup final and then started our Europa League adventure. These signings certainly add to that great sense of anticipation.
"We now have good options in midfield and up front with these captures add to the experienced additions we also made at the back by bringing in two England defenders Jonathan Woodgate and Matthew Upson earlier in the transfer window.
"Peter has an excellent goalscoring record at the highest level. His goals-per-games ratio for England is remarkable and he scored seven goals in 10 Champions League games for Tottenham last season which gives you an idea of his pedigree."
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Tottenham confirm Wilson Palacios has completed Stoke City move!
Tottenham have confirmed that midfielder Wilson Palacios has reached an agreement to sign for Stoke City, for a fee believed to be worth £8 million.
The Honduras international moved to White Hart Lane in January 2009 from Wigan Athletic, making 85 appearances for the north London outfit.
The 27-year-old has been linked with a switch to the Britannia stadium throughout the latter stages of this summer’s transfer window, and has signed a four-year contract with Tony Pulis’ side.
Palacios follows Jonathan Woodgate to Stoke and also looks set to be joined by Spurs team-mate Peter Crouch, who is currently in talks over a switch to the Potters along with Birmingham City striker Cameron Jerome.
Speaking to the club’s official website, Pulis said: "This is a fantastic deal for the Football Club because Wilson has proved himself to be a top class performer at the highest level.
"He has a considerable amount of international experience and played a prominent part in getting Tottenham into the Champions League only two years ago.
"He has great energy and the qualities to become a driving force in the middle of the park; the type of player our fans will love. We have been looking to strengthen our options in midfield and I am delighted to have him on board."
