Liverpool have rejected a bid for striker Peter Crouch from Portsmouth, BBC Radio Merseyside understands.

Neither club are prepared to comment on the reports but the offer is believed to have been in the region of £9m.

The 27-year-old played under Pompey boss Harry Redknapp at Southampton before he moved to Merseyside for £7m in the summer of 2005.

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has hinted he would consider offers for Crouch in the region of £15m.

“I’d love to bring Crouchie back here,” Redknapp told Portsmouth News.

“We are trying to do deals to bring in players and chief executive Peter Storrie is working on trying to get things done.

“But the fee seems a bit too high, and at the end of the day it comes down to the price.”

The England international has scored 40 goals in 135 appearances for the Anfield side but has struggled to hold down a regular first-team place last season.

Crouch was relegated behind Fernando Torres, who scored 33 goals for the Reds after signing from Atletico Madrid last summer.

But Crouch, who has a year left on his current deal with the Anfield club, still managed to net 11 goals as he was mainly used as a substitute by Benitez.

Crouch started his career as a trainee at Tottenham before moves to QPR, Portsmouth, Aston Villa, Norwich, Southampton and Liverpoo

Ref From BBC SPORT