Christian Benteke Signs with Liverpool, Moves on from Aston Villa

Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke caught the eye of multiple Premier League clubs this summer, but in the end, he signed with Liverpool. The team confirmed the signing of Benteke on Wednesday:

David Anderson of the Daily Mirror reported Benteke passed his medical Tuesday.

The news comes three days after Sky Sports claimed Liverpool and Aston Villa had come to an agreement for the player.

James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo, who is currently on tour with the Anfield club, broke news of Liverpool's raised offer on July 16, just hours after United had been tipped to land the forward "as soon as this weekend," as reported by Graeme Bryce of the Sun (h/t ESPN FC).

The move wasn't due to a lack of effort from Sherwood, who stated on July 14 he was "confident" Benteke would play a "huge part" for the Midlands club next season, per Laurie Whitwell of the Daily Mail.

Benteke has racked up 49 goals in 101 appearances for Villa, netting 13 during an injury-ravaged 2014-15 season, per Soccerbase. At 24 years old, this is the right time for him to step into top-level European football, as he has time to adapt and improve.

Benteke has the quality to make an impact in the Champions League, but he also needs regular game time if he's to become a star away from Villa Park. Liverpool seem to be an ideal choice for that.

Liverpool wasn't the only club to take an interest in Benteke, who himself fueled rumours of a United switch when he appeared to favourite a tweet that suggested he could become Wayne Rooney's back-up at Old Trafford. The Daily Mail tweeted evidence:

However, Benteke's agent, Eris Kismet, immediately insisted the United rumours were "not true at all," according to Sport Witness (via Fox Sports), and Liverpool ended up winning the race for his signature.