With news breaking late last evening that Liverpoom have reportedly agreed to terms with Southampton over attacker Sadio Mane in a £30mil move called “a matter of when, not if” by respected BBC journalist Ben Smith, it looks like the speedy Senegalese will be Anfield bound after a routine medical. While that’s ignited a conversation of it’s own, Jurgen Klopp’s latest recruit has also ratcheted up rumours of just where Reds misfit Christian Benteke will be playing football next season.
Although he’s a confirmed target for West Ham United, a number of other clubs are rumoured to have an interest in signing the Belgian hit-man — and the most surprising among the bunch is Italian giants Juventus. Having seen Alvaro Morata rejoin Real Madrid earlier in the month, the Old Lady have hit apparently hit the skids in trying to bring in a replacement. Priced out of a move for Paris St. Germain veteran Edinson Cavani and stifled out of the race for Marseille up-and-comer Michy Batshuayi, Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri is reportedly looking to the Premier League for a solution.
Long linked with a move to Turin, that could very well end up being Benteke’s Belgium team-mate Romelu Lukaku with the 23-year old agitating for a move away from Goodison Park, but for the time being that’s neither here nor there. Arsenal, of course, have also been linked with a move for Lukaku, but we’re not here to talk about him, are we?
Benteke has looked like a square peg in the proverbial round hole since arriving in a big money move from Aston Villa last summer and it was as early as January that he was being tipped for the Anfield exit door. Juventus may seem like unlikely suitors, but as the Hammers retain an interest, Crystal Palace have also thrown their hat in the rumour ring as Eagles boss Alan Pardew goes searching for some spark up top after releasing Emmanuel Adebayor and Marouane Chamakh. Regardless of who comes calling, it’s unlikely that he’ll be on the move until after Belgium’s Euro-2016 campaign is over.
