Belgian Benteke Set for the Big Time Following Transfer Request

Aston Villa pulled off one of the best bits of business last summer when they signed little known Belgian striker Christian Benteke for a fee of £7 million.

His displays in his first season at the club helped keep them in the Premier League and gave hope to many fans that they had found a new talisman. 

Sadly, the 22-year-old handed in a transfer request and is trying to leave the club that bought him and brought him international attention.

19 goals in 34 appearances is a good record for a young player in his first season, with Benteke becoming the fourth top scorer in the division - the highest of any club outside the top seven clubs. 

The potential departure would be a significant loss for the West Midlands club but could be a massive gain for another Premier League club.

Obviously Villa would not be keen to sell him, however a large financial offer could tempt the club's owners to cash in. 

British newspaper The Daily Mirror have linked Tottenham Hotspur with the striker and also said that a fee could be as high as £25 million. 

Signing for Spurs would be a perfect fit with Emmanuel Adebayor coming under criticism from fans after scoring just five goals last season.

Following the signing of Paulinho from Corinthians, the position that Tottenham need to improve on most is up front. 

They played most of last season with only two strikers in Defoe and Adebayor and relied heavily on Gareth Bale's goal scoring form. 

Benteke would give the club a new dimension and a new hero who could be successful firstly on the domestic front and potentially on a European level. 

His ability to hold the ball up and bring others into play would work well with Gareth Bale and take some of the pressure off of the Welsh wizard's shoulders. 

The fact that two Belgian International players in Mousa Dembele and Jan Vertonghen would mean he could settle in quickly and is already able to link up with some of the current Tottenham squad.

The striker could make the difference in the battle for the UEFA Champions League places which the fans desire.