Liverpool are set to sign Aston Villa forward Christian Benteke according to the Liverpool Echo.
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However, the Reds are making a mistake by bringing in the 24-year-old. They are in need of a striker, but the Belgium international is not the answer.
Here are five reasons why this is so…
5) Too slow
With players such as Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino to slip the balls in behind for whoever’s up front next season, they will want a quick forward to run on to them.
Benteke is not this.
It is a very rare occurrence when the Belgian is seen running in behind a defence.
4) His strengths don’t fit in
One area in which Benteke is strong is heading and holding the ball up. However, neither of these are really needed when playing up front for Liverpool.
The Reds rarely cross the ball for players to head, and they also tend to play fewer long balls than most for him to hold up.
3) Streaky
Last season the former Genk man scored three goals in the first 21 games, and then went on to net 12 in the next 13.
For a side like Liverpool, who are expected to at least compete in every game, these fluctuations in form will be put under a magnifying glass. He could crumble under the pressure if another poor run rears its head.
2) Not suited to a passing game
While Benteke isn’t terrible technically, he also isn’t at the same level as most of Liverpool’s team. With short, quick passing at the heart of how Brendan Rodgers has his side playing, having the forward slow things down could affect the whole team.
1) There are better options out there
Both Karim Benzema [Liverpool Echo] and Gonzalo Higuain [Metro] have been linked to the Reds this summer, and both would surely be better options than Benteke.
The duo are proven at Champions League level, and with the money from selling Sterling could both be within the reach of Liverpool.