Two Premier League clubs could be about to engage in battle over Liverpool striker Christian Benteke, who has fallen heavily out of favour at Anfield since the arrival of Jurgen Klopp in autumn last year. The Mirror are reporting that both Sunderland and Everton hold an interest in the forward, with Everton’s interest dependent on the potential departure of Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea.
Benteke completed a big-money move to Liverpool from Aston Villa last summer but has failed to live up to expectations, scoring just nine goals in the league. He was a regular under Brendan Rodgers, but fell out of the limelight once Klopp replaced him in the opening months of the season, causing speculation about his future on Merseyside.
Sunderland could be ready to take him to the north-east to ease David Moyes’ striker problems, with the Scot readily admitting that Jermain Defoe alone is not enough to ensure Premier League survival. Meanwhile, Everton may be keen to take him across Stanley Park in the event Lukaku returns to Chelsea, although The Toffees are digging their heels in despite the offer of a deal worth nearly £70 million for the Belgian striker.
Liverpool are asking for a fee of £30m for Benteke, eager to recoup as much as possible of the £32.5 million they paid to Aston Villa for him 12 months ago. That is less of an ask than anticipated due to the increased amounts of TV money, leading to most of the Premier League’s biggest clubs splashing out this year. This makes it feasible for either one of The Black Cats or The Toffees to land Benteke before the window closes in four weeks.
On top of the fee, the 25-year-old is likely to command £120,000 a week in wages. This could prove to be a worthwhile investment for his potential suitors, having had a record of almost one every two games in his time at Villa Park.
