Crystal Palace signed Christian Benteke from Liverpool in the summer.
Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew
Eagles boss Alan Pardew spoke to BBC Sport and explained how he had to ‘sweet talk’ club chairman and part owner Steve Parish into bringing Christian Benteke to Selhurst Park.
Benteke moved to Palace from Liverpool in August for a club record fee of £27 million, and the Belgian has gone on to score three goals in six Premier League outings for his club.
Crystal Palace’s Christian Benteke in action
Pardew explained how it was by no means an easy deal to get across the line, however, and responded to a question from the BBC asking if he had to convince owner Steve Parish to part with so much money for Benteke:
“Yeah, sweet talk him, have a couple of dinners with him and everything else. I kept saying, ‘Steve, it’s a no-brainer – give Liverpool £40m! He wouldn’t by the way.”
Crystal Palace’s Christian Benteke
The 25-year-old struggled to establish himself as a regular first-team starter during his time at Anfield, but at Palace, it seems as though the team is being built and moulded around his strengths.
His ability is beyond doubt, and now is the time for the former Aston Villa man to prove to everyone that he is capable of reaching the heights expected of him, and start to repay the faith placed in him by the Eagles boss.
Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew
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