Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe have sent a clear message to their Premier League rivals after finally launching their Portsmouth partnership.The £18.5million pair, who grabbed three of the goals in Pompey's 4-1 friendly win at Bournemouth on Monday night, have never completed a full match in tandem before despite each winning 28 England caps and being on Tottenham's books.

Crouch, who made his £11million move from Liverpool last week, scored twice against the League Two Cherries and laid on another for Defoe - who is a full foot shorter than him at 5ft 7ins.

And Crouch, who has played for Pompey boss Harry Redknapp in two different spells at Fratton Park and at Southampton, insisted: "Myself and Jermain worked well together. I was really pleased with how it went.

"Three goals in one game together isn't a bad start. Hopefully we can continue like that."

The striker was sold by Redknapp to Aston Villa for £5million to finance Portsmouth's 2003 promotion campaign and then bought by Liverpool for £7million when the manager was at St Mary's and trying to save Saints from relegation.

Crouch added: "It is important to build up a good understanding.

"Come the start of the season I'm sure we will know each others' game inside out. That will prove to be good for Portsmouth.

"It's the first time we've played together for a club and we enjoyed it."

Defoe, Pompey's record buy last season at £7.5million from Spurs, said: "Me and Crouchie linked up well.

"I've played with him only a few times before at England senior and Under-21 level but we work well together.

"For a big man he has great feet. He is someone I can definitely hook up with. He has played at the top level, he is a good footballer and he is very clever.

"Now we are really looking forward to the season. I'm happy with the way I got my goal. It shows we can play together."

Redknapp, however, insists he needs more new signings for the start of the season after loaning Ben Sahar from Chelsea for six months and taking Glen Little on a free transfer from Reading.

And his mood will not have been improved by reports that both Juventus and Inter Milan - now managed by Jose Mourinho - are targeting Pompey's Ghana midfielder Sulley Muntari who signed from Udinese for £7million last summer and opened the scoring against Bournemouth.

Redknapp said: "If somebody from Italy has made contact with us over Sulley then they haven't made contact with me. I certainly don't want to sell him."

But Redknapp may have to sell some of his fringe players like Sean Davis, Noe Pamarot - who has attracted a bid from Hull - and Richard Hughes to raise the cash for his top targets, Chelsea's Shaun Wright-Phillips and Tottenham's Younes Kaboul.

The manager is believed to have been told by Pompey owner Sacha Gaydamak there is no more cash available for new players after the arrival of Crouch.

Meanwhile, striker Sahar and centre-back Sylvain Distin missed the Bournemouth game with a virus that appears to have affected several Pompey players over the past two weeks.

But they are expected to be fit for Friday's trip to Nigeria where Redknapp's team meet the hosts' national side on Saturday and fellow tourists Manchester United in a FA Community Shield dress rehearsal on Sunday.

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