Christian Benteke has agreed personal terms with Crystal Palace ahead of a potential £30 million move to London.
Palace boss Alan Pardew, is prepared to make Benteke the highest paid player at the club to make the deal a reality. When it became clear that the Belgian’s future seemed likely to lie elsewhere, his exorbitant wages looked possible to become a stumbling block in any deal that was put on the table. That being said, Alan Pardew is being backed financially with the transfers of Steve Mandanda, James Tomkins and Andros Townsend already completed.
There seems to be a divide between those who wanted Benteke to leave and those who believe he has something to offer to Liverpool when slick counter-attacking football fails.
With Liverpool, Benteke earns £120,000-a-week and it is likely that he will be receiving the same wage or very similar earnings. Crystal Palace’s current top earner is Yohan Cabaye – who is said to earn £100,000-a-week.
It would seem as though Palace aren’t settling for less under Alan Pardew aren’t content to be a mid table side with the risk of slipping into relegation woes. The signings that the Londoners have made so far this summer indicate a desire to push on in the Premier League and make a name for themselves – more than they have already. Their FA Cup Final appearance last season, while likely a fluke, is an indication of what they can do.
A deal to take Benteke to London could be completed this week when the Belgian returns from holiday after his international duty in France with Belgium at the Euros. Klopp is highly unlikely to include him in his plans for next season with the Reds scheduled to play far less football than last season where the Liverpool played 63 games in all competitions.