Stoke City Signs Peter Crouch

Tottenham Hotspur forward Peter Crouch is departing North London for a move to Stoke City. Crouch, 30, leaves Spurs after arriving at the club in 2009 from Portsmouth for £10m. Terms are not known, but it has been reported that Stoke City has offered the same £10m that Tottenham originally paid for Crouch.

For Stoke, Crouch is an obvious fit. Stoke plays a very direct brand of football and Crouch's height should pair fantastically with Kenwyne Jones and/or new arrival Cameron Jerome (and give Rory Delap a great target for his cannon throw-ins).

For Tottenham, the move is murkier. Breaking even on a 30-year old striker is none-too-bad business. But the move leaves Tottenham thin at forward yet again, with only loanee Emanuel Adebayor, Jermain Defoe, and the rumored unhappy Roman Pavluychenko left to be the number 9.

Tottenham did not acquire another striker before the end of the window, so Harry Redknapp will have to hope Crouch's departure does not leave the forward ranks dangerously thin.