Christian Benteke looks set for an Anfield exit this summer, with the Belgian international struggling for first team football under Jurgen Klopp. The German manager is targeting Southampton’s Sadio Mane as his marquee summer signing, and the Mirror’s David Anderson claims this move will push Benteke out the door.
Liverpool increasingly confident they can land Sadio Mane from Southampton, which will push Christian Benteke towards Anfield exit.
— David Anderson (@MirrorAnderson) June 24, 2016
Liverpool have stepped up pursuit of Mane in recent weeks because of Mario Gotze’s reluctant to join them. Mane will be their big summer buy
— David Anderson (@MirrorAnderson) June 24, 2016
Benteke doesn’t seem to fit Klopp’s style at Liverpool at all, and consequently looks set to be shipped out if we can find the right buyer. The player obviously won’t want to sit on the bench, which he was forced to do for most of the last campaign. He’s likely to be pushing for an exit just as much as we are, but he’ll want to make sure he gets the right move.
The reports suggest Mane is moving closer and closer to a Liverpool switch, with Klopp pushing hard to get the transfer done (via the BBC).
While Benteke clearly isn’t suited to our style, it’s ironic that when we get around to signing a more natural wide-man – who would probably help the 25-year-old thrive a little more – he then looks set to leave the club.
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You’d expect Benteke to leave the club regardless of whether we sign Mane or not, especially as they don’t even play in the same position. The former Aston Villa man looks likely to leave regardless, so whoever we sign we can probably say goodbye to him.