Aston Villa may be open to bringing Christian Benteke back to the club.
According to The Telegraph, Crystal Palace have told Aston Villa that they will only sell Christian Benteke rather than loan him out.
It’s suggested that Villa have asked the question about taking Benteke on loan, but have been met with a firm response that he will only leave for a cash deal.
That could change if Palace sign a striker themselves, but for now, Villa will have to look elsewhere for a new centre forward.
Villa are in the market for a striker after losing big-money summer signing Wesley for the rest of the season, whilst Keinan Davis is also on the sidelines.
That leaves Jonathan Kodjia as Dean Smith’s only recognised striker, so asking the question about a return for Benteke isn’t a huge surprise.
The Belgian hit 49 goals in 101 games for Villa having joined from Genk in 2012, earning himself a huge move to Liverpool in 2015.
Benteke’s goals have dried up since though, scoring just 31 goals in 147 games across spells with Liverpool and now Palace, with just four goals in his last 65 games.
He may not provide goals, but Benteke is still a popular man at Villa from his first spell with the club, and whilst he penned a new one-year extension in October, Villa may still hope to prise him away from Selhurst Park.
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