Liverpool Transfer News: Christian Benteke Talks Jurgen Klopp Amid Exit Rumours

Liverpool striker Christian Benteke feels manager Jurgen Klopp “ignores” him at times. 

Speaking to Sport/Voetbalmagazine (h/t talkSPORT), the under-fire striker opened up on his testing first season on Merseyside.

“Some team-mates have said that I was lucky with the arrival of Klopp, because I certainly would play,” he said. “When your coach says he wanted to take you to Dortmund and a little later you sit at the same club and he ignores you, it is hard to understand.”

Benteke has also rejected the notion that he doesn’t fit the German’s style of play. “I find it bizarre; I do not understand why people say that," he stated. "I can play pressing and moving a lot. It is not that we play in the Barcelona style. In January I didn't want to leave, and it's still my desire to succeed at Liverpool. We'll see at the end of the season.”

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As Bleacher Report’s Jack Lusby noted, there has been obvious tension between the striker and his manager of late:

Indeed, Klopp could be seen addressing Benteke assertively on the field at the end of Liverpool’s 3-2 loss to Southampton on Sunday. The Belgium international was introduced as a second-half substitute and missed a critical chance with the score at 2-1 in favour of the Reds.

It’s been a common theme for the forward since joining from Aston Villa ahead of this season. Former manager Brendan Rodgers parted with £32.5 million to bring Benteke to the club, and while he didn’t hit his best form under the Northern Irishman, his standards and frequency of appearances have deteriorated under Klopp.

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The striker needs to be held to account, though. As noted by Liverpool writer David O’Connell, when the Reds have sought to play to his strengths, he’s never quite delivered:

As Benteke noted, Klopp has previously said the Belgian was a player he looked at during his time as Borussia Dortmund boss. And while he’s a forward whose attributes seem to have jarred with the principles the German is seeking to instil, Klopp’s teams have always been at their best with a target man—like Lucas Barrios or Robert Lewandowski—up top.

The manager, despite Benteke’s claims, seems to be a fan of the forward, too, despite his lack of starts in the all-red jersey, per Tom Williams of AFP:

However, rumours seem to be gathering pace when it comes to the player’s long-term future at the club, and these comments from the 25-year-old will do little to extinguish these stories.

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West Ham United have been open in their interest to sign him, with co-chairman David Sullivan suggesting that “he is a player that we admire,” per Darren Lewis of the Daily Mirror. However, in the same quote, the Hammers higher-up claims the salary Benteke is on could be a stumbling block, noting that “the problem is he is on such a huge wage that no club can afford him.”

Whether Benteke gets a chance to show he can be an asset to Liverpool before the season will be fascinating, especially in light of these quotes.

Some will say he’s not done enough, while others will claim the tactical blueprint doesn’t suit him, and the truth is likely somewhere in the middle. But the onus is now surely on the striker to show he’s befitting of the illustrious No. 9 jersey.