Christian Benteke has reiterated his desire to remain at Crystal Palace this summer by insisting he doesn’t "want to leave like a thief".
The Belgian striker endured a miserable season in south London as he struggled with injuries and only managed 19 games in all competitions.
And when he did play, Benteke appeared to be lacking confidence in front of goal, scoring just once all season for Roy Hodgson’s Eagles.
Despite that woeful form, the former Liverpool and Aston Villa forward has reportedly been attracting interest from Chinese Super League clubs.
But the 28-year-old has no interest in making the move to China, and would rather honour his contract at Selhurst Park which is set to expire at the end of next season.
According to Walfoot , he said: “I don’t want to go into details or find excuses. I wanted to force things when I wasn’t fit.
"After a good season, the last two have been very complicated. I still have a contract at Crystal Palace and I plan on honouring it.
“The club have been very correct with me and I don’t want to leave like a thief. China has never been an option.
“The Premier League is my dream and I still want to live it.”
A number of Benteke’s international team-mates including Axel Witsel and Yannick Carrasco have experienced playing in China.
But the striker says he hasn’t spoken to them about life in the Far East, insisting he hasn’t even considered a move there.
He added: “I’ve not even talked about the Chinese Super League with Axel Witsel and Yannick Carrasco while on international duty.”
