Mellor: Liverpool should sign Aston Villa’s Benteke this summer

Posted Sunday, April 26, 2015 by squawka.com

Former Liverpool striker Neil Mellor believes that the Merseysiders should sign Aston Villa forward Christian Benteke this summer, report the Liverpool ECHO.

The 24-year-old struggled for fitness during the opening half of the season, but has enjoyed a return to form since Tim Sherwood took the reins at Villa Park.

Mellor: Liverpool should sign Aston Villa’s Benteke this summer
Christian Benteke has scored 10 goals in 24 Premier League appearances this season.

Benteke suffered a serious Achilles injury, which subsequently ruled him out of last summer’s World Cup, but the Belgian has finally fully recovered from the ongoing issues and is set to play a key role in the West Midlands outfit’s bid to preserve their status in England’s top flight.

Safety is not yet secure, but Villa will have taken great confidence from their FA Cup semi-final victory against Liverpool last weekend.

Meanwhile, the Merseysiders have struggled to find the target this season, due to the loss of Luis Suarez, poor form of Mario Balotelli and enforced absence of Daniel Sturridge.

Mellor is adamant that the powerful Belgian represents the calibre of player that Kop chief Brendan Rodgers should attempt to sign this summer in order to bolster his lackadaisical front line.

''Christian Benteke caused Liverpool real problems at Wembley and I hope he’s the sort of signing the club are looking at making,” Mellor declared.

''Benteke is a fantastic centre-forward who is going to be in demand. If we struggle to buy a genuinely world class striker then he would be at the top of the next bracket down,” the ex-striker suggested.

Benteke handed in a transfer request at Villa in 2012, but quickly withdrew his demand and signed a new contract at the club, which is set to expire in 2017.

Given that he is a proven Premier League performer and is yet to enter his peak, the Belgian would appear to represent a sound investment.

However, as Mellor suggests, several clubs are expected to be interested in the striker’s signature now that he has returned to full fitness and is firing on all cylinders.