Does Christian Benteke have a future at Anfield?

Mar 5, 2016 at 8:22 PM

facebook iconlinkedin iconmail icontwitter iconWhatsApp iconTelegram icon
Does Christian Benteke have a future at Anfield?

After the debacle of the costliest transfer in the history of club in Any Carroll, Liverpool had to be smart before spending such amounts on players but the former Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers did not seem to learn anything from his predecessors at Anfield.

With Suarez out of the club and Sturrdige injured, Liverpool had a torrid time in front of goal last season and had to find a proven goal scorer in the transfer window before the start of this season.

With the likes of Roberto Firmino and Danny Ings already purchased, Rodgers felt the need to invest in another striker and he along with his infamous transfer committee decide that Aston Villa hitman Christian Benteke was the right man for the club.

Benteke moved to Liverpool this summer in a £32.5 million transfer in what is Liverpool’s second most expensive buy in the history of the club.

Right from his first week at the club, the Belgian was always criticized for his lack of movement up front and he has since not been able to win anyone over at his new club.

Coming in to replace the likes of Suarez, Benteke was always going to be under pressure and when Rodgers was sacked in August, it all became even harder for the 25 year old.

Jurgen Klopp who came in to replace Rodgers took some time to assess the situation at the club and 3 months into his tenure at Anfield, Klopp seemingly has pushed Benteke down the pecking order for the starting XI.

In the busy Christmas period, Liverpool lost Sturridge and Origi to injury while Ings picked up a season ending injury. This meant that the German had to use Benteke up front and the Belgian did not disappoint scoring the winning goals against Leicester City and Sunderland.

However, it was not enough to keep his place in the squad and Roberto Firmino was given the position of a false 9 for an extended run of games earlier this year.

This was the time when Benteke had to buckle up and prove himself every chance he got coming in as a substitute or starting the Cup games.

But Benteke failed to take his opportunities and looked mediocre even against a 3rd tier side in Exeter where he failed to score even a single goal over two legs even as he had a number of chances to give his team the lead.

All these failure have marred that fact that he is still the top goal scorer for the club with 7 to his name on level with Roberto Firmino who has found form recently.

This has given way to rumors that the 25-year old will move away from the club at the end of the season but it is not as easy as that for Liverpool to sell a player who cost £32.5 million after just one season.

In a recent interview, the manager opened up about Benteke and said that he will have to take his chances when he gets them and revealed that Liverpool are not really willing to listen to offers for the player this summer.

The agent of the player also recently commented that his client is full focused on his stay at Liverpool and that talks of an exit are just rumors at the moment.

However, the lack of goals is not the only thing that has kept Benteke out of the team for so long.

He in the past has been criticized for the lack of mobility and is often a stagnant figure up front while the rest of his team-mates are on another note.

Klopp’s teams generally are fluid and mobile, and interchange their places and jobs swiftly. Having a target man to hit up front is not the strongest points for Klopp’s sides and this has seen even Divock Origi who is back from injury take over Benteke in the starting line-up even when he was fit.

However, Benteke has shown that he can make an impact coming on as a sub as he proved Liverpool with another dimension in attack and it will be interesting to see if Klopp thinks that keeping him at the club is worthwhile.

In short, Benteke’s days are numbered at Liverpool unless he buckles up and gets himself accustomed to the Klopp’s way of playing the game. He has the qualities to lead a side managed by Klopp but he will need more time to be able to have an impact on the games as the manager wants him to.

Do you think Benteke will stay at Liverpool next season?

Related Article
Wrestlemania 40: WWE Trying To Secure Two Legendary Names For PLE
Wrestlemania 40: WWE Trying To Secure Two Legendary Names For PLE

Mar 28, 2024, 2:30 PM


AEW Dynasty 2024: Updated Match Card After Two Title Match Announcement
AEW Dynasty 2024: Updated Match Card After Two Title Match Announcement

Mar 28, 2024, 2:25 PM


WWE NXT: Natalya Neidhart Returns; Segments Set For April 2 Episode
WWE NXT: Natalya Neidhart Returns; Segments Set For April 2 Episode

Mar 27, 2024, 12:58 PM


NXT Stand And Deliver 2024: Triple Threat Title Match Set For WWE PLE
NXT Stand And Deliver 2024: Triple Threat Title Match Set For WWE PLE

Mar 27, 2024, 12:53 PM


Wrestlemania 40: Legendary Appearances Hinted At WWE PLE On Raw
Wrestlemania 40: Legendary Appearances Hinted At WWE PLE On Raw

Mar 27, 2024, 12:48 PM


The Rock’s In-Ring Status Revealed Following WWE Wrestlemania 40 PLE
The Rock’s In-Ring Status Revealed Following WWE Wrestlemania 40 PLE

Mar 27, 2024, 12:43 PM


Desktop Banner
Mobile Banner