The Merseysiders seem to have had enough of their association with Belgian striker Christain Benteke, and Liverpool FC boss Jurgen Klopp reportedly wants to cash in on him to get some of his preferred signings on board.
In spite of having signed Benteke last summer, the Reds are clearly not happy with the former Aston Villa striker’s performance, and Klopp’s preference to start with playmaker Roberto Firmino as a false no. 9, rather than a natural striker like Benteke seems to be testament to the fact that the Belgian is surplus to the German’s requirement.
Benteke has been getting the odd starts in the cup games, but has mainly been used from the bench as a second striker option (in spite of the fact that he is the only top forward available on their roster right now). The Reds are looking to offload the striker, according to a Bleacher Report, in order to free up some cash to get Klopp the players he wants.
Reds to incur loss on Benteke sale?
Liverpool FC had signed the big Belgian in the summer of 2015 from Aston Villa for a sum of £32.5 million. However, with the poor performances that Benteke has dished out this season, his market value has dropped to around £26 million, according to Transfermarkt. It would be interesting to see how much Liverpool FC get for selling the Belgian.
Liverpool FC need to get Klopp the players he wants
There was a huge wave of optimism when Klopp was appointed as the manager at Anfield, but that has died down a bit since then due to the poor performances dished out by the team. Many experts and critics have opined that since Klopp came to Liverpool FC in the middle of the season, he never had the chance to sign the players he wants, and is essentially playing his gegenpressing with a bunch of players who are more suited to former manager Brendan Rodgers’ possession-styled game. Thus, selling Benteke this winter may indicate that the Reds are freeing up cash to get immediate reinforcements for Klopp.