Christian Benteke

[AdamB]

Spending 18m+ on Benteke on the back of 1 fairly good season at relegation-threatened Villa seems like a fairly big risk to me, and we've had enough of those at Spurs over recent years. I had really hoped for a striker that would give us more guile upfront, but if this deal goes through it's looking like we're going more the brute force route.

Doesn't sound like 18m would get him. I share your concerns about lack of guile across the park, not just up front

 

[glorygloryeze]

Spending 18m+ on Benteke on the back of 1 fairly good season at relegation-threatened Villa seems like a fairly big risk to me, and we've had enough of those at Spurs over recent years. I had really hoped for a striker that would give us more guile upfront, but if this deal goes through it's looking like we're going more the brute force route.

It does seem that way doesn't it? I'm hoping this is only because our plan A Transfer strategy (e.g. Villa, Bernard) is not coming off so we are least going for players that enhance one side of our game, our physical strength. If we were to break Top 4, you would imagine (hope!) that we would recognise that we could not go on buying physical players alone...

 

[Maltese Falcon]

Spending 18m+ on Benteke on the back of 1 fairly good season at relegation-threatened Villa seems like a fairly big risk to me, and we've had enough of those at Spurs over recent years. I had really hoped for a striker that would give us more guile upfront, but if this deal goes through it's looking like we're going more the brute force route.

If he's half as good as Drogba, I would be more than happy

 

[scaramanga]

If he's half as good as Drogba, I would be more than happy

Which half? The skilful one or the strong one? Neither of which will take us very far on their own.

 

[The Moonlit Knight]

Why do people compare Benteke to Drogba? They are different types of players. I'm going to dare suggest that Benteke is anywhere near as good, but his play reminds me a lot of Klinsmann.

 

[onlyme]

Why do people compare Benteke to Drogba? They are different types of players. I'm going to dare suggest that Benteke is anywhere near as good, but his play reminds me a lot of Klinsmann.

Not me.

 

[The Moonlit Knight]

Not me.

He works the channels, turns his man by skill not strength, and has the presence of mind to link play. Drogba was a great player but he was more like an old fashioned number 9 than Benteke.

 

[Rossi22]

Because they are quite similar. They're both strong, powerful, relatively quick dominant centre forwards who bully defenders and score goals. You can say that Benteke will never be as good as Drogba, but at age 21/22, Benteke has scored 19 goals in the Premier League whilst Drogba was still playing in Ligue 2.

 

[Jordinho]

Because they are quite similar. They're both strong, powerful, relatively quick dominant centre forwards who bully defenders and score goals. You can say that Benteke will never be as good as Drogba, but at age 21/22, Benteke has scored 19 goals in the Premier League whilst Drogba was still playing in Ligue 2.

At that age Drogba hadn't really decided to become good yet. He had incredibly mental strength when he wanted something.

 

[glorygloryeze]

Does the fact that we are looking to sign Benteke mean that we will look to offload Ade?

 

[Jordinho]

Does the fact that we are looking to sign Benteke mean that we will look to offload Ade?

We need two players capable of playing the lone role, so I'd hope not unless we get someone else in as well. Defoe to leave first I hope, though it will depend on offers.

 

[Gutter Boy]

Does the fact that we are looking to sign Benteke mean that we will look to offload Ade?

Hard to say.

Ade and Benteke are quite similar, so interchangable. Ade could also lead a line in a 4-3-3, which Defoe couldn't, and maybe even play as a wide forward.

But then Defoe is cheaper (wages), will be happier down the pecking order, and is a better sub option.

 

[NaijaSpurs]

I think it is ridiculous for people to compare and judge his ability against Drogba, the world class beast we remember at Chelsea. People should remember Benteke is just 22, I wonder how many people on here had even heard of Drogba when he was 22?

 

[NaijaSpurs]

Hard to say.

Ade and Benteke are quite similar, so interchangeable. Ade could also lead a line in a 4-3-3, which Defoe couldn't, and maybe even play as a wide forward.

But then Defoe is cheaper (wages), will be happier down the pecking order, and is a better sub option.

Benteke plays as a central striker while Ade spends way too much time coming deep and going down the flanks and thus fails to give us enough physcial presence in the middle. Benteke is much more superior in the air and is more of a physical presence

 

[Jordinho]

I think it is ridiculous for people to compare and judge his ability against Drogba, the world class beast we remember at Chelsea. People should remember Benteke is just 22, I wonder how many people on here had even heard of Drogba when he was 22?

Nobody, because he spent his early years as a lazy, overweight defender in Ligue 2. Only signed his first professional contract at 21.

The similarity may be that he had one great season for Guingamp (aged 24) where he scored 20 goals, then moved to Marseille and scored 19 the following one, before moving to Chelsea for big bucks.

Benteke (who broke through at a younger age) scored 19 for Genk, then moved to Villa and scored 19.

 

[indianspur]

by James Taylor15th July 2013 9:07am BST
Exclusive
Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert will meet club officials this week to discuss buying a replacement for Christian Benteke.

Lambert has already targeted Alfred Finnbogason of Heerenveen and FC Twente’s Belgian ace Luc Castaignos.

Villa are digging their heels in over Benteke who has handed in a transfer request.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in the Belgium star and are expected to bid £20 million for the 22-year-old.

But Villa want close to £30m for a player they brought in from Genk a year ago and turned into a star.

However, the player is determined to move to White Hart Lane and that means Lambert dipping into the transfer market again.

Lambert has strong links with the continent and has already brought in five foreign signings.

Iceland international Finnbogason, 24, impressed for Herenveen last season.

And Castaignos, 20, is a former Feyenoord and Inter Milan striker who scored 13 times for FC Twente last season.

Both players fit into Lambert’s ‘young and hungry’ target range - and reports in the Dutch media insist Villa are interested.

The Villa boss wants to keep Benteke but knows he could be fighting a losing battle.

But now that Lambert is back from Villa’s pre-season tour of Germany, he can concentrate on building a settled squad for this season.

Benteke will be welcomed back to Villa’s training ground after he was given permission to miss the German trip following his summer international duties with Belgium.

But the big striker has been told there must be no repeat of his antics with Genk last season where he effectively forced a £7m move to Villa.

Lambert wants to avoid any splits in the camp as he prepares for the new season and will want the Benteke issue sorted out quickly one way or the other.

The Villa manager has also targeted Red Bull Salzburg midfielder Sadio Mane.

.....................

Finnbogason or Castaignos will be worth more than 20 mill next summer after a good year at Villa

 

[superspurs]

If the valuations are that far apart then we have zero chance, at £25m I could see a cheeky £21/22m + a few years worth of add-ons tempting them.

 

[Kingdawson]

I think we will sign Benteke and more then likely Naughton will be involved in the package.

 

[Rossi22]

Benteke - 33.6 Passes Per Game, 1.6 Key Passes Per Game.
Berbatov - 44.3 Passes Per Game, 1.4 Key Passes Per Game.
Soldado - 19.8 Passes Per Game, 0.9 Key Passes Per Game.
Lukaku - 16.3 Passes Per Game, 1 Key Passes Per Game.
Tevez - 35.3 Passes Per Game, 1.8 Key Passes Per Game.
Michu - 32 Passes Per Game, 1 Key Passes Per Game.
Defoe - 12.9 Passes Per Game, 0.9 Key Passes Per Game.
Ade - 24.6 Passes Per Game, 1.1 Key Passes Per Game.

For those who claim he's an uninvolved goal-getter like Darren Bent.

 

[NWND]

Someone on SC posted quotes from a Villa forum where they were discussing replacements and they were on about Lukaku on loan, but the agreement seemed to be that they saw Lukaku as being more direct whereas they were describing Benteke as someone who is a link forward