Reports coming from Tony Barrett of The Times have confirmed that Liverpool have returned to Aston Villa and are set to meet the £32.5m release clause for Belgian striker Christian Benteke
A long-term target for the club, the Belgian striker is thought to be unwilling to commit his future to the Midlands club, something that has enthused Brendan Rodgers to persist with the bidding and try and finalise a deal for his man.
The recent departure of the now Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling is another thing encouraging Liverpool to make a further approach for the forward.
The £49m sale of Sterling has allowed Liverpool to increase the financial package offered to Villa, but unlike with other targets, the fee could never be inflated from the £32.5m release clause set in Benteke’s contract, a factor which could also be seen as attractive to the Liverpool hierarchy.
Although the fee is significant, the Aston Villa number 20 has a proven track record of scoring in the Premier League and is a huge upgrade on the currently unwanted trio of Rickie Lambert, Fabio Borini and Mario Balotelli.
The seemingly hefty pricetag will also be seen as a drop in the ocean if the 6ft 3 forward scores the goals that the Reds were so obviously missing last season and Liverpool secure the signature of a player who has been the club’s primary target all summer.
This meeting of the release clause is yet to be confirmed by either club, but it seems increasingly likely that it is the case.
