Benitez targets Villa

12:39pm Wednesday 9th July 2008

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has targeted Valencia striker David Villa as a replacement for Peter Crouch, who is set to join Portsmouth.

Villa formed a partnership with Fernando Torres that helped Spain win the European Championship this summer.

"We will try to bring in another option. Villa is a player we know all about and he is on our list. But maybe it will be difficult," said Benitez.

Benitez insisted that the situation is not a desperate one adding: "We have Torres, Andriy Voronin, Dirk Kuyt, Ryan Babel and Steven Gerrard, who can play as a second striker."