Mark Hughes has said that he does not expect Peter Crouch to leave Stoke City during this summer's transfer window.
The striker has been linked with a move to West Ham United following the arrival of Bojan Krkic and Mame Biram Diouf over the last couple of months.
The manager told Sky Sports News: "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. It's just speculation, we understand that at this time of year, but we won't encourage anything."
Crouch scored 10 goals in all competitions for Stoke last season.
