Benteke was a summer target for West Ham United according to Hammers boss Slaven Bilic.
Crystal Palace’s Christian Benteke
West Ham United could renew their interest in Christian Benteke as the striker grows disillusioned with life at Crystal Palace, The Telegraph reports.
Hammers boss Slaven Bilic admitted in October that Benteke was on his list of summer targets [London Evening Standard], only for Palace to land the Belgian in a club-record £32 million deal.
Benteke has since scored 11 goals in 28 Eagles appearances, although only one of those has come since Sam Allardyce’s appointment as manager in December.
According to The Telegraph, friends of the 26-year-old complain he has become isolated by Allardyce’s long-ball tactics.
And it is claimed that Saturday’s on-pitch argument with Palace teammate Andros Townsend has convinced Benteke to consider his Selhurst Park future in the summer.
The former Liverpool striker is said to have already rejected interest from China, and would want to join a club “with a manger who values him”.
Bilic’s previous pursuit of Benteke would perhaps bode well in that regard, while The Telegraph adds that West Ham would be willing to cash in on Chinese interest in Andy Carroll, which would free up space for the Palace man’s arrival.
West Ham United’s Andy Carroll celebrates
Palace are said to owe Liverpool £5 million of the agreed £32 million fee, and would reportedly ask for around £25 million, although relegation would “severely weaken” the Eagles negotiating position.
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