Aston Villa were in a bit of a pickle at the start of the year when they lost Wesley and Tom Heaton to long-term injuries.
Dean Smith’s side had to bring in replacements and Mbwana Samatta became the chosen one up top in the end.
The former Brugge star wasn’t exactly Villa’s first choice. The Villans had other priorities for their striker position and one of those was their former star Christian Benteke.
The Belgian hasn’t quite scored as many goals as he would have liked for Crystal Palace over the last two years but he has become an integral part of Roy Hodgson’s side this season.
Benteke could well have moved back to Villa Park where he initially made his name in England. However, the Belgian’s agent, Kismet Eris, has confirmed now that he rejected the opportunity and chose to continue with the Eagles.
He told RTBF: “Lately Crystal Palace extended him when he only scored one goal. And in winter, I received many offers for him, including Aston Villa, but also Club Brugge, and others But Christian is attached to London and wants to succeed where he is.”
Benteke claimed to have rejected Villa too a few months ago. (Read here) The Belgian could have been a really good fit for the Villans but sadly, it wasn’t meant to be.
Smith’s side are still in a lot of trouble. Villa last won a league game in January and it does seem like they are on their way back to the Championship after just one season in the top-flight.
Would Benteke have made a serious difference? It’s very difficult to say considering he has scored just once all season.
Villa can’t afford to rue their missed deals now. They need to get some points in the next few games to have any chance of staying up but with Liverpool, Manchester United, Everton and Arsenal still to play, their chances of survival look bleak.
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