Liverpool Transfer News: Latest on Christian Benteke and Lazar Markovic Rumours

Christian Benteke's potential departure from Liverpool is under threat, as suitors Crystal Palace and West Ham United are reportedly unwilling to meet the Reds' asking price for the Belgian striker. 

Liverpool reportedly want to recoup all of the £32.5 million they paid Aston Villa for Benteke last summer, but Palace could walk away from such a deal despite having outlined personal terms with the 25-year-old, per Ed Malyon in the Mirror.

According to the Daily Mail's Sami Mokbel, the striker is happy to remain at Anfield and "fight for his place under manager Jurgen Klopp," but he is far from the German's first-choice front man, and Liverpool could remove £120,000 per week from their wage bill by offloading him.

Mokbel added that Palace and the Hammers have "a genuine interest" in Benteke, but Liverpool's eagerness to make back all of the £32.5 million they paid for him could force them both to walk away. 

The Eagles have been the club most heavily linked to the former Villa striker, and Palace manager Alan Pardew is reportedly a big admirer of Benteke, per Bleacher Report UK's Sam Tighe:

The Belgium international's eye for goal—he netted 42 Premier League goals in 89 appearances during his three seasons at Villa—and physicality would make him a better strike option than any Pardew currently has available to him.

However, after returning only nine English top-flight goals in 29 appearances last season, Benteke is arguably no longer worth what he was last summer, hence Palace's and West Ham's reticence to meet Liverpool's asking price.

It seems that if the Reds are intent on moving Benteke on after just one season, they are going to need to lower their demands.

With the likes of Daniel Sturridge, Divock Origi, Roberto Firmino and Danny Ings all on the Anfield books, he is not needed at the club, and Liverpool would do well to be more reasonable with their asking price.

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Meanwhile, Sporting Lisbon are reportedly interested in signing Reds winger Lazar Markovic despite a somewhat underwhelming season-long loan for the Serbian youngster at Fenerbahce last term.

According to Portuguese outlet Record (via the Daily Star's Jamie Anderson), current Sporting manager Jorge Jesus is keen to reunite with Markovic after working with the 22-year-old at Benfica ahead of his £20 million move to Liverpool in 2014.

Anderson added that Fener opted not to keep Markovic on permanently, an indication of how he fared while on loan in Turkey, and he has failed to live up to his price tag at Liverpool.

With Klopp looking to ring the changes this summer and trim his squad, Liverpool could surely be open to selling Markovic to Sporting if the Portuguese club lodge a reasonable offer.