Pulis Wants Crouch and Palacios

COULD Tony Pulis be about to win his spurs as a prime Premier League wheeler-dealer?

Well he had an expert mentor in old boss Harry Redknapp, and it is to the Tottenham boss he is claimed to have turned to boost his Stoke squad this summer.

The Sentinel broke the news last week that Pulis was taking giant strides to bring Macc lad Peter Crouch to the Brit for a fee in the region of £10m, but the Daily Star claims he is actually sizing up a double Spurs swoop also involving Honduras international midfielder Wilson Palacios.

The former Wigan man is just the sort of combative midfielder Pulis loves, and he is hoping to persuade Redknapp to part with a player he bought for £14m just two years ago.

Not that Pulis will want to part with that sort of cash, but with Crouch thrown in for good measure, the Stoke boss could nevertheless be about to break the bank at the Brit.

It will no doubt be a relief to Stoke chairman Peter Coates to learn that two other alleged Pulis targets could be about to slip through the manager's grasp.

Former Congleton High School pupil Daniel Sturridge is a man in demand this summer ... and Stoke are reported to have already offered Chelsea £6m for the England under-21 striker.

However, the Blues are desperate to land Spurs playmaker Luka Modric, and the Daily Star claims Sturridge has been offered to Redknapp in addition to the £27m Chelsea are willing to pay to take the Croatian to Stamford Bridge.

Elsewhere, the Sunday Mirror reckons Leeds United starlet Max Gradel has snubbed interest from the Potters – and nearly every other Premier League club – to stay at Elland Road. The £5m-rated marksman clearly has some issues ... apart from apparently wanting to stay in West Yorkshire, the 23-year-old also reckons United are a "massive" club.

Well they were once, Maxie ... but even Jonathan Woodgate can only just remember when.

Maybe Gradel's one to steer well clear of, TP.

Talking of deluded players, how about Stoke target Scot Dann?

The highly-rated Birmingham centre-half must have headed the ball once too often as he is apparently demanding £35,000-a-week to join the Potters.

According to the Daily Mirror, he is insisting on earning more at the Brit than Stoke captain Ryan Shawcross, who is said to take home £28,000 each week.

If Pulis isn't prepared to break his wage structure to satisfy the demands of West Ham striker Carlton Cole, it seems unlikely he will risk squad harmony for Dann.