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Jermain Defoe is a target for new Stoke boss Mark Hughes – who wants to ­reunite the England striker with Peter Crouch, write Dave Kidd and Tom Hopkinson of the Sunday People.

Tottenham are seeking a buyer for £6million-rated Defoe and Sparky is keen to bring him to the Britannia Stadium.

The 30-year-old England star knows he will be down the pecking order at White Hart Lane when Spurs complete the signing of David Villa and either Christian Benteke or Valencia’s Roberto Soldado.

Defoe has two years left on his £65,000-a-week contract, though, so the Potters would have to make him their highest-paid player to seal the switch.

(Image: Getty)

Crouch and Defoe have played alongside each other for Tottenham, Portsmouth and England and Hughes believes they can forge an effective partnership again.

However Hughes will have to block Harry Redknapp’s attempts to take Crouch back to QPR.

Crouch, 32, nearly rejoined Rangers – the club where he made his professional debut in 2000 – in January but the deal did not get over the line. And Loftus Road boss Redknapp was hoping to resurrect it as soon as the transfer window reopened last week.

Redknapp is willing to pay around the £5m mark for the England ­international, who became Stoke’s record ­signing when he joined the club for £10m on a four-year deal in 2011.