Liverpool forward Christian Benteke revealed that Jurgen Klopp continues to praise him privately, but expressed his disappointment at not getting time on the pitch commensurate with that feedback.
The past weekend was an eventful one for Liverpool and Christian Benteke; Jurgen Klopp’s men threw away a two-goal lead at St.Mary’s to lose 3-2 to Southampton. Towards the end of the game, Klopp appeared to lose his patience with the forward and told him off for missing a one-on-one when Liverpool were 2-1 up.
The German was criticised by BBC pundits Alan Shearer and Danny Murphy on Match of the Day 2 for his public criticism of the Belgian.
Benteke baffled by lack of first team chances
Away on international duty with the Belgian national team, Benteke accused his manager of saying one thing and doing another.
He was quoted as saying in an interview with Sport Magazine in Belgium: “When a coach meets you and tells you he wants to bring you to Dortmund and then you meet him later, but it’s not working, you say to yourself that not everything is always very clear.
“Still today, he tells me that I’m a striker who can do everything… I have variety to my game but why am I not playing then?”
West Ham confirm interest in Benteke
The big Belgian has been linked with a move to West Ham United following the incident on the weekend, with Hammers chairman David Sullivan confirming their interest in the 25-year-old.
“The problem is he is on such a huge wage that no club can afford him, but he is a player that we admire,” Sullivan was quoted as saying by the Daily Mirror.
Sky Sports recently reported that West Ham have set aside around £40 million to sign a striker this summer, with Benteke among their top targets.
Does Benteke have a future at Liverpool?
While the forward claimed in the interview that he was surprised by questions regarding his suitability to Liverpool’s style of play under Klopp, the Southampton game was the latest example of the Belgian negatively impacting the Reds’ potency and fluidity in attack.
Both Divock Origi and Roberto Firmino have been preferred over him for the same reason, and if Klopp does not feel that Benteke is what he needs, the club should cash in on the former Aston Villa striker.
Benteke could make for a useful impact substitute for the Reds, but that would depend on his willingness to spend an extended period of time on the bench. His latest comments seem to indicate that the two parties will part ways in the summer — permanently or on a temporary basis through a loan move.
