Stoke City manager Mark Hughes has made clear his plans for towering forward Peter Crouch.
The former England international continues to be linked with a summer departure from the Britannia Stadium following the arrivals of Bojan Krkic and Mame Biram Diouf from Barcelona and Hannover respectively.
Further speculation suggests that West Ham United are looking at Crouch after Andy Carroll again went down with an injury but Hughes has reiterated that the 34-year old is a key part of his Potters squad ahead of the 2014/15 Premier League season.
"There's always speculation at this time of year," he told Sky Sports.
"Peter was great for me last year - he's a key part of what we're trying to do this year.
"People assume that if you bring quality in, quality people have to go out but that's not the case. We're looking to build a strong squad and add to the quality we already have.
"Peter was very much part of that quality last year and we expect him to stay."
