Liverpool misfit subject of new and improved £31.5m bid from Premier League rivals

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Crystal Palace have reportedly returned to Liverpool with an improved offer of £31.5m to sign striker Christian Benteke this summer.

The Belgian international arrived at Anfield last year, but struggled to make the desired impact after moving in a deal worth £32.5m from Aston Villa.

In turn, his future has been shrouded in doubt for some time, with Palace returning after initially offering Liverpool £25m for his services, as reported by The Guardian.

The Eagles are now said to have offered an initial £27m, with further fees linked to appearances, achievements and whether or not the club is able to qualify for Europe.

The Guardian add that Benteke wouldn’t object to the move as he ultimately wishes to resurrect his career after failing to hit the heady heights with the Reds that he did at Villa, as he failed to feature at Euro 2016 despite making Marc Wilmots’ squad.

Given the incompatibility issues with the Liverpool style of play, it has been a struggle for the Belgian forward, as he scored just 10 goals in 42 appearances in all competitions last season.

Liverpool will undoubtedly be keen to recoup as much of their initial outlay as possible, and the ambitious plans of Palace could enable them to do that.

Alan Pardew has already seen both Steve Mandanda and Andros Townsend added to his squad, while James Tomkins is soon set to follow in a £12m deal from West Ham United, according to The Guardian.

As they continue to splash out and strengthen their squad, Benteke will be seen as their marquee signing of the summer, and will give them belief that they can continue to climb the Premier League table as of next season.

Whether or not the club record transfer fee will be enough to convince Liverpool to sell remains to be seen, but they are certainly edging closer to reaching an agreement with the Reds.

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