Chelsea are looking to sign a new striker this summer and the Blues have been linked with the out of favour Liverpool forward Christian Benteke.
According to the very reliable English newspaper Times, Chelsea want to re-sign Romelu Lukaku from Everton, but they are aware that it might not be easy to pull it off. The new Everton manager (when appointed) might not sanction a transfer. Plus Everton are asking for a fee of 65 million pounds for Lukaku.
In that case, Benteke is an alternate option for the Premier League giants.
Liverpool signed Benteke for a fee of 32 million pounds last summer, but the Belgian has struggled to make his mark at Anfield. This is because of Liverpool’s style of play, which clearly does not suit the former Villa striker.
The Belgian is still a very good player and could be a major hit for Chelsea. It is understood that Liverpool are ready to cut their losses and will accept a knockdown fee for the target man. Benteke has been one of the best strikers in the league over the last few seasons and one poor season at Liverpool changes nothing. He is still highly rated by several clubs and there should be plenty of suitors for him this summer.
It will be interesting to see if Chelsea follow up on their interest with a formal bid later this summer. Benteke clearly won’t play regularly under Klopp and he will be hoping to complete a move away from Liverpool. If Chelsea come calling, the Belgian will probably grab the opportunity with both hands.
Benteke was a target for Mourinho as well, but the Blues refused to shell out 32 million pounds for him back then. Mourinho also labelled him as a ‘special player’ once.
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
