Liverpool’s Klopp issues classy response to Benteke beef

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Jurgen Klopp has downplayed his ruckus with Liverpool forward Christian Benteke, who’s returned to Melwood from international duty crocked.

While with Belgium though, the £32.5m striker issued disparaging remarks (via Sky Sports) about his Reds boss, in which he claimed he didn’t ‘understand’ how Klopp could want him when at Dortmund but now not select him, and how he wouldn’t have signed for Liverpool to be a sub.

Benteke’s been out of Klopp’s plans due to the fact his style doesn’t suit Klopp’s all-action one, and despite scoring seven Premier League goals this term, the 25-year-old is fourth in the pecking order behind Daniel Sturridge, Divock Origi and Danny Ings.

“Maybe I should have spoken to him but it really isn’t important because when he came back he was injured and now that’s much more important,” the manager said, reported in the Echo.

“I have no problems with players who are not satisfied when they don’t play. It’s always the same answer – it’s up to the player to change the situation. For it’s easy to react to things like this.

“I didn’t read what he said to be honest. A few guys told me about it but for me there is nothing too serious about it.

“When players go to their national teams, especially with the situation of Christian Benteke in Belgium, then they ask and if he’d have said: ‘I’m really happy at Liverpool and I like that I only play a few minutes’ that would be strange too.

“It’s not perfect but it’s not a real problem. The problem is that he’s now injured.”

For us, the fact Klopp doesn’t seem too bothered by Benteke’s quotes reiterate the suggestion that he’s happy to let him leave in the summer.

Ben Smith of the BBC confirmed Benteke would leave at the end of the season, and now it looks even more of an inevitability. The striker’s not a bad player, but he doesn’t possess the attributes Klopp requires and it’s for this reason it’d be best for both parties if he moved on.

Liverpool’s job is to claw as much of the £32.5m back as possible, but the forward’s stock has dropped while out of favour, so we’d do well to get a £20m figure.

 

 

 

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