Opting to stay, perhaps against the odds, by signing a new contract at Crystal Palace last summer, Christian Benteke has seen his decision backfire somewhat.
While he has made 21 appearances in the Premier League under Patrick Vieira this season, only 11 of those have been starts, and the arrival of Odsonne Edouard combined with the re-emergence of Jean-Philippe Mateta have seen his chances of being a regular diminish.
Add on top of that the possibility of Eddie Nketiah arriving at Crystal Palace on a free in the summer, and the 31-year-old could end up being fourth choice next season.
That’s why DH, on Monday evening, believe we are likely seeing the final days of the Belgian at Selhurst Park, which would see him leave nearly six years after arriving in a £28m transfer from Liverpool.
In that time, he has scored 37 goals and assisted another 12 in 170 appearances for Crystal Palace, and he will do everything in his power to add to that tally between now and the end of the season.
Beyond that, however, it’s ‘difficult, in these conditions, to think of seeing him stay with the Eagles next season’, especially when you take into account that ‘this will be the last transfer window in which they will be able to get a certain amount of money from his departure’.
It’s believed his value is currently ‘estimated at €7m’, but whether anyone would be willing to pay that for him remains to be seen.
