Liverpool have reportedly rejected a fresh £30m bid from Crystal Palace, with the terms of the deal not being deemed acceptable by the Reds.
The Belgian international is considered surplus to requirements at Anfield this summer, with Jurgen Klopp boasting various other options in attack that fit his style of play better.
In turn, Benteke has long been linked with an exit from the club, but as reported by The Telegraph, there has yet to be an agreement over a transfer fee.
Palace have returned with a £30m bid, but with a plan of paying an initial £23m with a further £7m in add-ons, it hasn’t been considered realistic by Liverpool who have in turn rejected the proposal.
If the capital club have serious ambitions of securing the transfer, then they will have to restructure the deal in order to meet Liverpool’s demands, which could likely require a significant chunk of the fee up front with more realistic add-ons.
The 25-year-old established himself as a prolific goalscorer during his time at Aston Villa, but following his £32.5m move to Liverpool last summer, he has struggled to replicate that same form in a new system and with the team’s play not centred around making the most of his qualities.
Under Paul Lambert and Tim Sherwood, Benteke was seen as the focal point of Villa’s attack, but ultimately Klopp doesn’t play the same way and looks for different characteristics in his forward.
Nevertheless, despite his struggles, it’s clear that he can still offer a huge amount to the right club, and Alan Pardew has evidently identified him as the right man to lead his attack this season.
The Palace boss is under pressure already after losing their opening game of the season and saw Yannick Bolasie leave for Everton this week, and so a marquee signing would be most welcome at Selhurst Park and he’ll hope they can get the terms of the Benteke deal right.
According to BBC reporter Phil McNulty though, it seems as though the gap is pretty significant at this stage.
Palace offer for Benteke did not even come close to being considered by Liverpool. £23m plus £7m add-ons light years away from what’s needed
— Phil McNulty (@philmcnulty) August 16, 2016