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Christian Benteke: Can Aston Villa keep him?

The striker in question is 24 year-old Belgium International, Christian Benteke. Since joining in 2012 has scored 41 goals in 86 appearances,

With the season nearing its end, it’s the time when managers are assessing their squads with their plans in mind for the upcoming season. With strikers in demand as they are seen as the main match-winners of any team, one striker in particular has triggered attention from would-be buyers with his recent impressive form.

Christian Benteke: Can Aston Villa Keep him?

The 24 year-old had scored 48 times in 134 games whilst at various clubs in the Belgian Jupiler League between 2007 to 2012 and since sealing his £7m move to Villa, Benteke has equalled that goals tally in 97 matches, with an impressive ratio of a goal every 2.02 games. Then-managed, Paul Lambert, described the 6 foot 3 target-man as “unplayable” after he netted on his Premier League debut in a 2-0 win against Swansea City having come on as a substitute.

Plaudits soon came from other managers and players during his debut season, with then-Tottenham Hotspur boss Andre Villas-Boas describing the Belgian as “the season’s surprise package” and Anfield legend Michael Owen, tweeting “I’m seriously impressed with Benteke; what a player”.

He scored 23 times in his impressive debut season for Villa, in which he was nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year but had to settle for runner-up, after losing out to Tottenham’s Welsh forward Gareth Bale.

This season, after suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon injury in training in April 2014, which ruled him out for 6 months and the World Cup in Brazil, he has notched up fifteen goals in 31 games in all competitions for the Villans, with eleven coming in the last nine, helping Villa to steer to near safety from relegation and set up a FA Cup final against Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal on 30th of May.

Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood has slapped a £30m price-tag on his talismanic striker to warn off any prospective buyers, though teammate, neighbour and close pal, Leandro Bacuna, admits that it would be hard for the club to keep Benteke at Villa Park this summer, with both Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg and Liverpool are believed to be monitoring the Belgium international’s situation. The more likely destination seems to be Liverpool, as the Belgian is currently loving playing in the Premier League and moving to Germany may not tick all the boxes for him.

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers and the Anfield faithful have seen their side unable to repeat their title challenge of last season. The striker department has been seriously lacking all season, due to the £75m sale of Uruguayan Luis Suarez to Spanish giants F.C. Barcelona, the perennial injury problems of Daniel Sturridge and the indifferent form of Rickie Lambert, Mario Balotelli and Fabio Borini.

Liverpool have only managed to find the net 49 times in 2014/15 so far, less than half of last season’s 101. With the powerful forward’s physical approach and his ability to finish, Benteke could prove to be a very good signing for boss Brendan Rodgers, the fans and an excellent partner for a fully-fit Daniel Sturridge next season.

Even if Aston Villa were to survive the drop and/or win the FA Cup, it remains to be seen if they can keep their talismanic target-man.

 

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