CRYSTAL PALACE are ready to let record signing Christian Benteke leave on loan in a bid to kickstart his faltering career.
The Belgian international striker has lost all confidence after scoring just one goal in 21 months for the Eagles.
Crystal Palace are ready to let Christian Benteke leave, with Aston Villa keenCredit: Getty – Contributor
Now manager Roy Hodgson is prepared to listen to offers for the 29-year-old centre-forward who cost Palace £27million when they signed him from Liverpool in 2016.
And there is a possibility that Benteke could return to former club Aston Villa to fill in for the sidelined Wesley.
It was only three months ago that Benteke signed a 12-month contract extension at Selhurst Park to prevent him from leaving Palace as a free agent at the end of this season.
But he has failed to respond to that vote of confidence from Hodgson, who now believes the player needs a new challenge to get him going again.
And with Cenk Tosun having arrived on loan from Everton, Hodgson now feels he has enough competition for Jordan Ayew up front.
Benteke, who didn’t even make the subs’ bench for Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal, scored 17 goals for Palace in his first season at the club but has been a disaster ever since.
He has only scored four times in three seasons and just once since April 2018 despite playing regularly for the Belgian national team during that time.
But Villa boss Dean Smith is desperate to improve his team’s attacking options following Sunday’s 6-1 hammering by Manchester City which leaves them in the relegation zone.
He will be without first choice striker Wesley for the rest of the season after the £22million Brazilian suffered a serious knee injury at Burnley on New Year’s Day.
And he knows that Benteke is still fondly remembered by the fans for his prolific three seasons at Villa Park before a £32.5million move to Liverpool in 2015.
Carlo Ancelotti comments on Cenk Tosun’s move to Crystal Palace
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
