Liverpool have rejected Crystal Palace’s latest bid for Christian Benteke, worth an initial £23m with a further £7m due in add-ons, with frustration steadily mounting on all sides of what have proved protracted negotiations.
Palace made contact with the Merseyside club once again on Monday and subsequently tabled an offer which, in principle, matched Liverpool’s valuation of the Belgium international forward.
However, such was the nature of the proposed add-on clauses which would have swollen the fee to the required £30m that the bid was rejected out of hand. It is understood the clauses were not considered realistically attainable, with Liverpool therefore seeking more money up front for the player.
It seems likely Palace, whose initial offer worth £25m was tabled during Euro 2016, will attempt to return to the negotiating table to put forward a restructured package. An offer worth an initial £28m with £4m of realistic add-ons would most likely prove sufficient to land the striker.
However, time is ticking down towards the transfer deadline and it is unlikely the 25-year-old, who clearly has no future at Anfield after only one season at the club following a £32.5m switch from Aston Villa, will wait much longer before turning his own attentions to other potential moves as he attempts to revive his career.
West Bromwich Albion would be willing to meet Liverpool’s valuation, and other clubs from around Europe have sounded out his representatives, though Benteke’s preference had been a move to London with Palace. Alan Pardew has long made him his priority attacking signing in the wake of Dwight Gayle’s sale to Newcastle and the release of both Emmanuel Adebayor and Marouane Chamakh under freedom of contract.
Palace’s latest bid came on the day they sold Yannick Bolasie to Everton for an initial £25m, potentially also rising to £30m. Pardew still wants to sign two strikers, including Benteke, and direct replacements for Bolasie and Mile Jedinak, who is expected to complete a £4m move to Aston Villa later today.
Meanwhile, Palace are expected to offer new contracts to Wilfried Zaha, James McArthur and Jason Puncheon in the coming weeks. Zaha, who re–signed for the club from Manchester United in 2015, had hoped to sign an extension at the end of last season but is now likely to be offered an improved five-year deal.
