Everton are reportedly lining up an audacious move to sign Christian Benteke from their Merseyside rivals Liverpool.
The Mirror have claimed that Everton have set their sights on Liverpool striker Christian Benteke, who is reportedly not a part of the first-team plans at Anfield. Everton have set an asking price of £75m for their star striker Romelu Lukaku but Chelsea are rumoured to be considering a bid for the striker. Toffees manager Ronald Koeman has reportedly lined up Christian Benteke to replace his Belgian international teammate and lead the line at Goodison Park.
Christian Benteke moved to Liverpool from Aston Villa in a £30m deal last season but the Belgian has since struggled to have the same impact at Anfield compared to what he did at Aston Villa. The striker managed to score only ten goals in all competitions for Liverpool last season and has been reportedly told by Jurgen Klopp that his future lies elsewhere. The striker was the subject of a sensational bid by Crystal Palace, which fell through, and was linked with a move to Chelsea, but the rumour has since taken a back-seat.
Everton are not the only club after the Belgian international though, The Mirror have also reported that the Merseyside club face competition from their former manager David Moyes’ new employers, Sunderland. The Scot is keen to prove his abilities after a couple of torrid seasons with Manchester United and Real Sociedad. Liverpool are eager to get a return on their investment and have set an asking price of £30m on the Belgian international.
If Chelsea were to sign Romelu Lukaku for the reported £75m, Everton would have the funds to make a move for Benteke and even if Lukaku were to stay at Goodison Park, Everton have been recently fueled by fresh inflow of cash. The £30m move would break the transfer record for the Toffees, which previously stands at £28m paid by the club for Romelu Lukaku. This would be a first for Merseyside clubs in the Premier League era since a Liverpool player has not transferred directly to their crosstown rivals in the last 24 years.
