Former Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert has backed Christian Benteke to prove doubters wrong and be a success at Liverpool.
Lambert brought the Belgian international to the Barclays Premier League in 2012 from Genk in a £7million deal and developed him into one of the most deadliest strikers in English football.
Villa are set to receive £32.5million for the 24-year-old after the Merseyside outfit triggered the release clause in the Benteke’s contract over the weekend [via Sky Sports] and reports surfaced on Monday that he was set to undergo a medical with the club [via Sky Sports] and should shortly be announced as Brendan Rodgers’ seventh signing of the summer.
The move has been met with some scepticism from many in the media including former Reds goalkeeper David James [via Mirror Sport], however, Lambert has played down suggestions that Benteke will struggle playing for a club as big as Liverpool:
“He will score all types of goals. If you look at the way he plays, especially his first year at Aston Villa, where he was a phenomenon,” the Scotsman told Sky Sports News HQ [via Mirror Sport].
“I think he is one of the best number nines I have seen in a long time,” Lambert added.
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The addition of Benteke to the squad at Anfield will provide Rodgers with more attacking options which will surely be welcomed by supporters of the club as they struggled for goals last season.