POMPEY LINE UP McCORMACK

Portsmouth manager Paul Hart has moved to fill the gap by gap left by the sale of Peter Crouch by making an approach to Cardiff about striker Ross McCormack.

Crouch was reunited with former Pompey boss Harry Redknapp at Tottenham in a £9million deal on Monday.

Hart is exploring a number of options - he has also been linked with Croatia striker Nikola Kalinic - and Portsmouth chief executive Peter Storrie has enquired about Scotland international McCormack.

The Bluebirds have refused to comment on the approach but are believed to be prepared to allow the 22-year-old McCormack - top-scorer with 23 goals last season - leave for £5m.

DOUBLE PURSUIT FOR HART

Portsmouth manager Paul Hart has confirmed his interest in Croatia striker Nikola Kalinic and former Liverpool full-back Steve Finnan.

Pompey are looking for replacements for England internationals Peter Crouch, who moved to Tottenham on Monday, and Glen Johnson, who was sold to Liverpool last month.

The 21-year-old Kalinic currently plays for Hajduk Split and reports on Tuesday suggested he is on the verge of a £5.5million transfer, although Hart refused to speculate on that.

Finnan agreed a release package with Spanish side Espanyol on Monday to cut short his contract just a year after leaving Anfield for Barcelona's second club.

"Steve Finnan is one of many people we are interested in. As is Nikola Kalinic," said Hart.

"Steve is a quality player and if you saw my list you could probably see a few more quality players there.

"He's a very experienced player, like many others on the list."

Although Portsmouth had to sell Crouch to balance the books at Fratton Park, Hart stressed he was determined to hang on to the likes of Sylvain Distin and David James, although he was less certain about the future of Nadir Belhadj, who is a reported target for Hull.

"I don't think we will be selling either Sylvain or David. They are here, they are contracted so I'm not expecting them to leave," he told The News in Portsmouth.

"I have seen what has been said about Belhadj and I don't know anything about that.

"I said players could be sold. It would be wrong to talk about certain players. Nadir is a quality player - but let's see what happens."

REDKNAPP: NO HUTTON APPROACH

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp says there has been no approach from Hull for full-back Alan Hutton.

The Tigers are in the market for new signings, with manager Phil Brown having endured a frustrating summer in his efforts to strengthen his squad.

He has only been able to add defender Steven Mouyokolo to his ranks and has missed out on several of his intended transfer targets.

Scotland international Hutton is the latest player to be linked with a move to the KC Stadium, with reports claiming Hull are preparing a £7million bid.

Hutton is also reportedly wanted by Everton, but Spurs boss Redknapp confirmed he has not received an enquiry from Hull for the 24-year-old.

Redknapp said: "I never had an approach from Hull City for Alan Hutton.

"I don't know anything about that."

The right-back was a £9million signing from Rangers 18 months ago, but injury has restricted Hutton to just 26 appearances during his time at White Hart Lane.

CROUCH COMPLETES SPURS SWITCH

Peter Crouch has joined Tottenham from Portsmouth for an undisclosed fee.

The England striker passed a medical and agreed personal terms at White Hart Lane, and will link up again with former Pompey manager Harry Redknapp.

The 28-year-old moves to Spurs less than a week after turning down a £12million offer from Sunderland.

Crouch had travelled to the Stadium of Light and agreed personal terms with the Black Cats, but the deal fell through after the forward indicated his desire to remain in the south.

A Pompey statement read: "We are sorry to see Peter go both as a player and a person and would like to thank him for playing a key role for keeping the club in the Premier League last season.

"His sale was necessitated by the club's commitment to repay scheduled debts while we are in a transitional period of completing the takeover.

"We will now be looking to add fresh faces to the first-team squad as soon as possible."

PETER CROUCH FACTFILE

1981: Born January 30, Macclesfield.

1998: Signs for Tottenham as a trainee.

2000: Joins QPR for £60,000 and plays his first season in senior football in the old First Division, scoring 12 goals.

2001: Joins Portsmouth for £1.5million and makes an immediate impression with a goal on debut against Wolves.

2002: Snapped up for £5million by Aston Villa after netting 19 goals in just seven months with Pompey.

2003: September - Makes loan move to Norwich.

2004: July - Joins Southampton for £2million.

2005: Nets 13 goals in 19 games from the turn of the year as Southampton battle against Premier League relegation and reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

May 7 - Sent off in 2-2 draw with relegation rivals Crystal Palace to incur suspension for the crucial final game of the season against Manchester United. The club's appeal against the dismissal is turned down.

May 12 - Named in England squad for summer tour to United States.

May 27 - Selected to make his senior international debut for opening match against the USA in Chicago but later injures his ankle in training and is ruled out.

May 31 - Makes England debut in a 3-2 win against Colombia, setting up Michael Owen for a goal.

July 7 - Southampton reveal they have turned down a bid from West Ham.

July 19 - Fee of around £7million agreed between Liverpool and Southampton for the striker.

July 20 - Completes move to Anfield.

July 26 - Makes Liverpool debut, starting in the 3-1 win at FBK Kaunas in the Champions League second qualifying round first leg.

December 3 - Scores first Liverpool goals after an 18-game drought in 3-0 Premier League win against Wigan.

2006: March - Scores first England goal in 2-1 friendly win over Uruguay.

May 13 - Finishes first season at Anfield with 11 goals and an FA Cup winners' medal.

June 3 - Nets first England hat-trick in 6-0 World Cup warm-up win against Jamaica.

June 15 - Scores first competitive international goal in 2-0 World Cup Group B win over Trinidad and Tobago.

June 20 - Is dropped for final World Cup group game against Sweden to accommodate Wayne Rooney but comes on as substitute after four minutes following a serious injury to Michael Owen.

July 1 - Comes on as substitute as England lose 3-1 on penalties to Portugal in World Cup quarter-final.

August 13 - Scores winner as Liverpool beat Chelsea 2-1 to lift the Community Shield.

September 2 - Nets brace in Euro 2008 qualifying win over Andorra, becoming first player to score 10 goals for England in a single calendar year.

2007: February 24 - Suffers broken nose in 4-0 Premier League victory against Sheffield United. Plays two more matches but is eventually forced to undergo surgery.

March 31 - Marks comeback with first Liverpool hat-trick in 4-1 Premier League victory over Arsenal.

May 23 - Comes off the bench as Liverpool are beaten 2-1 by AC Milan in the Champions League final. Ends season as club's top scorer with 18 goals.

November 21 - Scores in England's final Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia at Wembley but it is not enough to prevent a 3-2 defeat, which eliminates Steve McClaren's side. Crouch finishes the qualifying campaign as England's top scorer with five goals.

2008: July 7 - Liverpool give Portsmouth permission to speak to Crouch.

July 11 - Pompey unveil Crouch as their player after he completes a medical.

October: Recalled to the England squad by Fabio Capello.

2009: June 14 - Crouch's future at Fratton Park appears uncertain after he blasts the lack of clarity over the club's future direction, and the sale of key players such as Jermain Defoe and Lassana Diarra.

July 15 - Sunderland manager Steve Bruce confirms he is in talks with Crouch, who is also linked to Fulham and Tottenham.

July 21 - Bruce admits defeat and claims Crouch wants to stay in the south.

July 26 - Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp claims he is confident of signing the striker for a third time, after he also did so at Southampton and Portsmouth.

July 27 - Tottenham confirm the signing of Crouch in a deal thought to be worth £9million.

LAWYER: DEFOE 'UNLAWFULLY' ARRESTED

Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe was "unlawfully" arrested on Monday on suspicion of driving while disqualified, his lawyer said.

Defoe's solicitor said the 26-year-old England international was not disqualified but had been held for more than five hours at a police station in Harlow, Essex.

Essex Police said the arrest had been based on "inaccurate" information held on a computer.

A spokesman said the player was released as soon as the error came to light.

Defoe, of Cuffley, Hertfordshire, was convicted of speeding earlier this month by a district judge sitting in Chelmsford, Essex.

He was disqualified from driving but the disqualification was suspended pending an appeal - Defoe denied any offence.

Nick Freeman, Defoe's solicitor, said the striker had been stopped in the early hours and not released until after 9am.

"My client was unlawfully arrested and detained in custody for more than five hours at Harlow police station," he said.

"This was despite the police being informed that Mr Defoe was not subject to any relevant period of disqualification as it had been suspended."

He added: "There seems to be a total disconnect between the courts, DVLA and police, resulting in my client having to endure not only the humiliation of arrest, but also being incarcerated in custody like a common criminal.

"Despite being told Mr Defoe was not breaking the law and calling for his immediate release, the police would not agree to freeing him until they could clarify the position with the courts at 9am.

"Then, to add insult to injury, once released at just after 9am, the police refused to give Mr Defoe his car back until he produced his documents and stated they were not sure where they had put the vehicle.

"They also refused to return the keys, which were on the same bunch as his house keys, causing Mr Defoe extreme difficulties, not least because he had to return home and pack for a pre-season tour of Asia with his football club.

"These administrative errors are more than extremely unfortunate and should simply not occur. My client is now considering his position in relation to this unfortunate and distressing scenario."

The Essex Police spokesman said: "The arrest of a man from Hertfordshire on suspicion of disqualified driving was based on information held on the Police National Computer.

"Following inquiries, officers discovered that the information was inaccurate and released the 26-year-old man without charge.

"The inputting error was made by police staff at Essex Police and was an oversight as a result of a pending court appeal.

"If the motorist wishes to make a complaint, then he is advised to contact our Professional Standards Department."

District Judge David Cooper passed sentence after magistrates heard that Defoe broke a 50mph speed limit in a Land Rover on the M11 in Chigwell, Essex, in April and June 2008.

Defoe was disqualified for six months and ordered to pay £600 costs.

The judge also fined Defoe £1,500 for failing to inform the authorities who was driving - and added 12 penalty points to the footballer's licence.

Defoe's legal team said the player would appeal and argue that police paperwork was invalid because it had been handled by an unauthorised person.

BENT NEARS SUNDERLAND SWITCH

Darren Bent is a step closer to joining Sunderland after pulling out of Tottenham's pre-season flight to China at the last moment.

The England international was on the flight with the rest of his team-mates which was awaiting departure to Beijing for the Premier League Asia Trophy.

But a phone call came through shortly before take-off informing Bent that he needed to leave the plane.

Sky Sports News understands that the former Charlton forward is now holding talks with the Black Cats over a proposed switch to Wearside.

Sunderland boss Steve Bruce had admitted his frustration earlier in the day at the lack of progress in his bid to secure the striker's services.

Bruce has already seen Portsmouth forward Peter Crouch reject a move to the club, with the England international tipped to join Spurs.

That could help pave the way for Bent's departure, and his hasty departure from Monday's flight to China suggests a deal could be concluded in the coming days.

REDKNAPP NEARS DEAL FOR CROUCH

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is closing in on a deal to bring Portsmouth striker Peter Crouch to White Hart Lane and will drop his interest in Klaas-Jan Huntelaar when the move is completed.

Pompey boss Paul Hart has stated that a fee has been agreed with Spurs but Redknapp, who will allow Darren Bent to leave the club, feels there is still work to be done before he is reunited with the 28-year-old.

"They want to sell him, it's common knowledge they need to sell him," said Redknapp after the 2-0 Wembley Cup defeat to Celtic. "I don't think they're crazy demands - it's a fair deal and his wages are fine."

Redknapp needs a centre-back to cover for injuries to Ledley King, Jonathan Woodgate and Michael Dawson, and he also wants to bring former Arsenal skipper Patrick Vieira into his midfield.

In attack, Redknapp feels Crouch offers him balance and he would also be paired with former Pompey team-mate Jermain Defoe.

"He's different," said Redknapp. "He holds the ball up. Celtic held the ball up well but we don't do that well enough.

"He gives you an option and he's played for me a few times before. He's always done a job and he's great on set-plays at both ends."

Redknapp believes he can sign either Crouch or Huntelaar, rather than both, with Bent looking to leave. It means the defeat to Celtic, when he missed three opportunities, could be his last for the club.

"Darren is looking to go but it's up to people to make the offer that we want," Redknapp added.

"Nobody misses chances deliberately. He tucked some great chances away in pre-season and he will always score goals. He's a good player but I just want some balance and Crouchy would give us something different."

Leeds youngster Fabian Delph is another on Redknapp radar.

"He's a terrific young player but there will be a few clubs in for him," Redknapp said.

O'NEILL: HANDS OFF YOUNG

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill has issued a hands-off warning over England international Ashley Young.

The pacey winger is attracting plenty of transfer speculation, with Liverpool, Spurs and Chelsea, along with Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid, all thought to be interested in the PFA Young Player of the Year.

But O'Neill insists not even a bid of £50m would persuade him to sell the 24-year-old, who arrived at Villa from Watford back in 2007 for a then club-record £9.65m.

The Villa boss told The Sun: "There has been no thought about selling him.

"If somebody came in with £50m, I would not do it. It would be up to the chairman but the last time I spoke to Randy Lerner he was not entertaining anything, at any price.

"There are loads of teams who want him but he's at the right club.

"I could not be more strong on this. He's not going anywhere."

JENAS REJECTS EXIT TALK

Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas has poured cold water on reports which have suggested he could be heading for the White Hart Lane exit door.

The England international has been strongly linked with Aston Villa over the summer, amid rumours of a summer shake-up at the London outfit.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp described Jenas as one of his "best players" earlier in the week and claimed there had been no contact from Villa boss Martin O'Neill.

Jenas, 26, is equally calm about where his future lies having reiterated Redknapp's standpoint.

Jenas told The Sun: "I'm a Tottenham Hotspur player and I'm happy here, and that's all there is to it."

Another midfielder to commit his future to Tottenham is promising winger Danny Rose.

The England U-21 international, signed from Leeds in July 2007, has signed a new contract that binds him to the White Hart Lane outfit until 2013.