Liverpool are set to make a £32.5 million bid for Aston Villa star Christian Benteke this week, matching his release clause, reports the Daily Express.
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The 24-year-old has apparently also attracted the interest of Arsenal and Tottenham, but it is their Merseyside rivals who have made the first concerted effort to sign him. The Reds are in dire need of a new striker after struggling to score freely in the absence of Luis Suarez last season. Fabio Borini, Rickie Lambert, and Mario Balotelli were all unable to hit form, while Daniel Sturridge struggled with injuries throughout the campaign.
Benteke could be just the man the solve these woes, having proven himself able to hit the back of the net regularly in the Premier League. In three seasons with the Villans, the Belgium international has scored 49 goals, of which 42 have come in the top flight.
However, as the woes of Lambert and Balotelli displayed last time round, Brendan Rodgers’s team works better with a pacy technically proficient forward. While Benteke isn’t slow, what he is best at is winning the ball in the air and winning physical battles with defenders. As such, the Reds may have to adapt their style if they sign the former Genk man.