4 EPL Teams That Could Be Christian Benteke's Next Move After Transfer Request

Aston Villa's key striker Christian Benteke now looks like not starting the new season with the Villains after handing in a transfer request.

The news will come as a big disappointment to Villa fans, but a source of opportunity for other Premier League clubs who will have admired his big impact in his debut season in 2012-13.

The BBC confirmed he had asked for a transfer and has not gone on Villa's preseason tour, as planned previously; he now he must wait and see if any interested parties make an acceptable bid "within an appropriate timeframe," as his club put it.

Here are four Premier League clubs that could well be interested in Benteke and could be his most likely next destinations.

Tottenham Hotspur

Spurs are widely considered to be in the market for a striker after the disappointment of watching last summer's signing Emmanuel Adebayor struggle for goals.

Daily Mail's Simon Jones claims that Spurs are very much interested in signing Benteke, with Andre Villas-Boas keen to land him to lead the attack for the North London side next season.

His strength and aerial presence, as well as a good ability to link up play with attacking midfielders, perhaps make him the ideal candidate for Spurs to consider from within the Premier League's boundaries.

Liverpool

Liverpool might be searching for a new No. 9 striker of their own for next season with Phil McNulty of the BBC confirming the club received and rejected a bid for Luis Suarez, and with Andy Carroll already having been sold.

Benteke would be a more powerful option than the Reds currently have in their armoury, but he has also shown against the Reds just what they are missing at times.

His two-goal haul in Villa's win over Liverpool might have opened a few eyes, while he ended the campaign on 19 goals for the season, just four behind Suarez himself. If the Uruguayan departs, the Reds will certainly have the funds and the space in the squad to compete for Benteke, but is he mobile and selfless enough for Brendan Rodgers' system?

Manchester City

Manchester City have a gaping hole in their attack following the sale of Carlos Tevez, while Mario Balotelli's departure in January also went unreplaced.

City certainly need one forward this summer, perhaps even more if there are further sales. Although Benteke might not quite yet have the big-name reputation that some of their other signings have already attained, he has already shown he has plenty to offer in the Premier League—and that could be of interest to Manuel Pellegrini, with other signings coming in from afar to date.

Sky Sports report Manchester City as just one of a host of clubs interested in the Belgian striker.

Arsenal

Arsenal are widely assumed to be spending big this summer to land a top forward, with Gonzalo Higuain supposedly their first choice, as per FoxSports.com, but the recent bid for Luis Suarez, as per BBC, indicates that perhaps they are ready to move on to other targets.

The Gunners are just another of many who are perhaps interested in Benteke, as per Sky Sports, but their desire to sign a new centre-forward is real, as is their need of goals and quality in the final third.

Spurs and Arsenal going head-to-head to land the Belgian would be an extremely interesting battle to watch, and the club who is successful in landing him might just have the edge in trying to attain a top-four position next season.

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