Juventus Reportedly Planning £20M Christian Benteke Bid

Having endured a terrible first season at Liverpool, there is a widespread belief that Christian Benteke won’t get a second. He’s behind not just a now fit Daniel Sturridge on the depth chart, but also younger compatriot Divock Origi and multipurpose attacker Roberto Firmino. That’s not a situation the player can be content with, nor can the club, who spent a whopping £32.5M to sign him last summer.

Now, according to reports in Italy, Juventus could be set to put Benteke out of his Liverpool misery. Or so say Calciomercato, with the Italian outlet claiming a £20M offer is set to be tabled—one that, if it’s serious, could probably be pushed up by a couple of million to get the deal done. If it was, it would likely become palatable for Liverpool. And the Italian leaders would certainly make for a good landing spot for the player.

Previously, Benteke’s most serious suitor had appeared to be West Ham, a solid choice for Benteke but one without quite the same standing as Juventus, who would also offer Champions League football to the Belgian striker. On paper, at least, it does seem like a move that would make everybody happy. Which probably means that in the end it will turn out there’s nothing actually to it and that it won’t get done.

Benteke has come across as a likeable figure since joining Liverpool, the kind of soft-spoken player it’s easy to hope find success. Yet the return simply hasn’t been there, with eight goals in 35 total appearances, good for a strike every 244 minutes he’s been on the pitch. Add in that the entire team seems on a different wavelength to him, to look worse when he’s on the pitch, and there’s simply no room at the club for Benteke.

At least unless both striker and club are content with his being an occasionally used substitute, something that seems unlikely given his international aspirations and that he’s one of Liverpool’s highest earners on £120k per week. If those wages don’t get in the way, Benteke to Juventus would seem about the best thing for everybody. Hopefully Calciomercato have it right, then, and it’s a move that happens quickly.