Crouch, set to make his England debut against the United States on Saturday, played for Portsmouth in 2001/2002, scoring 18 League goals in 37 appearances before being sold to Aston Villa for £5m (€7.3m) by Harry Redknapp, now Southampton’s manager.

Redknapp has made it a condition of staying on as Saints boss in the wake of relegation that Crouch must stay as well but the manager has also said: “If somebody offers silly money – then that’s football.”

Saints fans would be outraged if Crouch, scorer of 16 goals in 24 starts last season before being suspended for the decisive last game of the campaign, was sold to their bitter rivals.

But Redknapp, who raided Pompey for coach Kevin Bond, midfielder Nigel Quashie and chief scout Stuart Morgan soon after arriving at Southampton in December, let James Beattie go to Everton for £6m (€8.7m) despite initially saying the player was not for sale.

And, even though chairman Rupert Lowe reckons demotion will cost the St Mary’s club at least £15m (€21.8m), it is likely to take a bid of at least £8m (€11.6m) to tempt them to off-load Crouch.

Storrie said: “Will we make a bid for him? Watch this space.”

He added: “This is the time of year when countless players are linked with us and when our more promising players are linked with other clubs. We have drawn up a list of players in all areas and all, at this stage, are no more than targets.

“Peter Crouch has been named and obviously we have looked closely at what he has done and the impact he has made. The club wants to sign proven good players at Premier level and that is what we are aiming to do this summer.”

Pompey’s new manager, Frenchman Alain Perrin has to replace top scorer Aiyegbeni Yakubu in his squad after the Nigerian agreed to join Middlesbrough next month in a deal thought to be worth £6m (€8.7m).

Midfield star Patrik Berger has also been allowed to move on a free transfer to Aston Villa while a trio of ex-internationals – Steve Stone, Shaka Hislop and Hayden Foxe are being released.

Southampton will lighten their wage bill with on-loan Henri Camara’s move back to Wolves, Calum Davenport’s return to Tottenham and Anders Svensson rejoining Elfsborg in Sweden.

Olivier Bernard, on loan from Newcastle, has also left the club while manager’s son Jamie Redknapp is in the United States seeing a specialist about the future of his injured knee.

Redknapp is sure to come under pressure to sell outstanding goalkeeper Antti Niemi while Portsmouth are also still vulnerable to raids, with Liverpool reportedly making a bid for midfielder Gary O’Neil.

The England U21 captain says he is flattered by the interest in him but wants to stay at Pompey.

Anfield chief Rafael Benitez has sounded out Portsmouth after identifying O’Neil as one of the top young talents in the country.

But O’Neil, 22, who would command a valuation of at least £4m (€5.8m), has committed his future to Pompey by signing a new deal to 2009.

His agent, John Mac, told the Portsmouth Evening News: “Gary and I have been informed that Liverpool have made an enquiry. We are flattered by their interest, but at this moment in time it is only an enquiry, and Gary will continue to give 100% to Portsmouth.”