Liverpool Transfer News: Christian Benteke Reacts to Reds Exit Rumours

Liverpool’s struggling striker Christian Benteke wants to stay and fight for his future at the club, although West Ham United are reportedly keen on taking him to the capital.

After making a £32.5 million move in the summer of 2015, the burly forward hasn’t hit the heights he showcased frequently for Aston Villa in the Premier League. Nevertheless, Benteke has insisted he’s happy on Merseyside despite talk of a possible exit at the end of the campaign.

“There is no secret. When things aren’t going well you just have to work harder and trust yourself,” he said, per James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo. “Even though things have not been as I wanted I’m really happy here. Playing for this club is exciting, just like what I thought it would be. Now I want to finish this season well.”

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Pearce noted that despite the player’s willingness to stay on at the club, Liverpool will be “open to offers” for him in the summer, with the Hammers noted as potential suitors.

Benteke has endured a season to forget since making the move from the Midlands, netting just eight times in 35 appearances in total. Manager Jurgen Klopp’s predecessor Brendan Rodgers brought him to the football club, and while he wasn’t particularly prolific under the latter, opportunities have been very scarce with the former in charge.

As noted by Bleacher Report’s Jack Lusby, such has been the standard of the player’s performances this season, he could struggle to make the Belgium squad for this summer’s European Championships:

With that in mind, legendary former Liverpool skipper Phil Thompson feels as though a summer transfer is inevitable for the 25-year-old.

“I would say for the sake of his own career he needs to leave,” he said in a Sky Sports column. “He's got the Euros coming up and he's going to be sat on the bench with Romelu Lukaku starting and he won't want the same to happen next season. He can't do the pressing game that Jurgen Klopp demands and you can't have £32.5 million strikers sat on the bench playing a bit part.”

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Although there’s been a lot of criticism for the former Aston Villa man, when it comes to his instincts in front of goal, there’s not been too much difference between this season and last, as OptaJoe notes here:

What is different is the style of football. Under Rodgers the Reds showed a greater willingness to play directly with Benteke in the team, while Klopp’s philosophy demands a striker who is mobile and has an appetite for hard work at the point of the attack. The club’s current No. 9 just doesn’t tick those particular boxes.

Additionally, the Reds seem to have better options in the position, with Daniel Sturridge putting together an overdue run of game, Roberto Firmino capable of deputising and Danny Ings on the road to recovery after his injury.

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As Bleacher Report UK noted here, Divock Origi is a young forward that’s beginning to look the part, too:

Benteke’s attitude is admiral, as players in his predicament can often fall into a malaise and look towards the end of the season. It’s imperative that if he does get a chance in the final knockings of the campaign, he takes it, otherwise it would be a massive surprise to see him in a red shirt again next season.

During his time at Borussia Dortmund, Klopp often utilised a target man, with Lucas Barrios and Robert Lewandowski both adapting and then excelling under his watch. Benteke has the raw attributes to do the same, although there’s a sense, one which has been expedited with the emergence of Origi, that he’s missed his chance under the German.