Brendan Rodgers has acted swiftly to spend the revenue amassed from the sale of Raheem Sterling to Manchester City by triggering the release clause of Christian Benteke, who has moved to Anfield from Aston Villa for a fee of £32.5 million.
The signing is a serious statement of intent from Rodgers to show he can splash the cash on a player with Premier League pedigree however the last big name striker he brought to Merseyside, Mario Balotelli, is yet to kick in gear after a very disappointing season where he only found the net four times in all competitions.
Christian Benteke is make or break for Rodgers
Benteke, who has scored 44 goals in 82 Premier League appearances, could be the missing link up top in, what could be, a very different looking Liverpool attacking line. Roberto Firmino, Danny Ings and Divock Origi, who is returning after a season on loan at Lille, will all be in Brendan Rodgers’ thoughts alongside player such as Daniel Sturridge, Lazar Markovic, Adam Lallana, Phillipe Coutinho and Jordon Ibe.
The fee is the biggest issue when discussing the transfer of Benteke. A player who is valued at £30million plus automatically has a huge weight placed on their shoulders and whether Benteke can deal with that is yet to be seen. That being said, whilst at Aston Villa, Benteke was quite obviously the main man when it came to being a game changer, scoring big goals when needs be in order to boost Villa’s survival chances.
Rodgers’ decision to sign the Zaire born hitman has raised a few eyebrows as his robust, target man style of play does not seem to slot into the usual Rodgers passing football mentality. A striker who has played in a team who have a similar philosophy to Rodgers may have been a more suitable signing but with relative youth and international experience, Benteke could easily be moulded on the training pitches at Melwood into the kind of partner would works effectively alongside Daniel Sturridge.
The long term aim for the Kopites will be to reestablish themselves amongst the domestic elite but for now a Champions League return must be the main objective. Spending by the former Swansea boss has been scrutinised with many of his signings being questioned on the counts of fee and performances and Benteke could be added to the growing list of failed signings for big fees.
Results in the first half of the season coupled with the performances of the latest big money addition could be the making or end of the Rodgers era at Anfield. Last term was disappointing with no silverware and finishing outside the European big time when just a year previously the time race went down to the wire with Liverpool running eventual champions Manchester City extremely close.
Overall, if Benteke hits the same kind of form he has over the last few seasons, then the deal could be a shrewd one for the Reds. There is a chance however it could all fall apart as quickly as the transfer was completed. If the £32milion pound man does not hit the ground running, Liverpool fans could be calling for Rodgers’ head before the time Christmas comes round.
