Liverpool Transfer News: Christian Benteke Exit Denied, Ignacio Camacho Rumours

The agent of Liverpool striker Christian Benteke has denied speculation regarding a move to Arsenal after insisting his client remains focused at Anfield. Plus, the Reds have been linked with a cut-price swoop for Malaga midfielder Ignacio Camacho.

Reports emerged from Spanish website Fichajes earlier this week claiming the Gunners were in for out-of-favour Benteke, but Tom Coast of Sport Witness provided quotes from Kismet Eris, who said the Belgian "was only thinking about Liverpool at the moment."

Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images

Benteke's standing has fallen at Anfield since completing a £32.5 million move to Merseyside last summer, the highest fee Liverpool have ever paid for a non-British player.

His woes were compounded last Sunday after he failed to appear off the bench during the Capital One Cup final defeat to Manchester City, the sixth time this season he's featured as an unused substitute. However, manager Jurgen Klopp said the player could still have a future at the club, per James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo:

"

The situation for players is not always the sunny side of life. Timing is everything. Christian wasn’t in the best moment of his Liverpool career four or five weeks ago. It was obvious. Then Daniel Sturridge came back and then we had to think about what we do. Whether to bring Daniel on as a substitute or let him start.

The type of game gives me the best advice about what I have to do. I can’t just say ‘he needs minutes, go’. It is not pre-season. It is a real tournament all the time.

The only thing a player, not only Christian, can do in a situation like this is first of all accept it in a positive way. Don’t think: ‘thank God I don’t have pressure on the bench’. Don’t talk about it and say: ‘I don’t know what I can do’. The answer is train as well as you can and he is in a really good way.

"

Sturridge's return to fitness has led to more competition in attack, while Roberto Firmino and Divock Origi have also shown improvement and could be considered ahead of the former Aston Villa frontman in Liverpool's pecking order.

Kristof Terreur of Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws agreed the £32.5 million investment could sit as far down as fourth choice in Klopp's strike force:

For now, Benteke remains focused on rebuilding his Anfield reputation, according to agent Eris, but even if the Reds did choose to cash in, it seems unlikely they'd be willing to do business with direct rivals Arsenal.

Elsewhere, Liverpool could reportedly add Malaga's Camacho to their ranks for as little as £4 million this summer, per the Mirror (via Metro).

Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images

According to the report, Malaga need to clear some debt and would thus be willing to negotiate a deal for their prized midfield anchor, even though his contract doesn't expire until 2019.

Yahoo's Andrew Gaffney has predicted a summer switch is inevitable for Camacho, who moved to Andalusia in 2011 after failing to establish himself at Atletico Madrid:

The 25-year-old would perhaps provide a more energetic approach than that of Lucas Leiva, 29, and the Reds may be considering reinforcements in central midfield after captain Jordan Henderson was sidelined earlier this season.

Camacho has one cap for Spain and may be looked upon as a bargain at a cost of just £4 million, but the main question could be whether Klopp sees the midfielder as a suitable recruit for his system.