West Ham United could potentially "hijack" Crystal Palace's reported pursuit of Liverpool's Christian Benteke.
That's according to an exclusive from the Sun's Daniel Cutts, who noted the Hammers are interested in the Belgian and his camp are believed to be holding discussions with the club "this week."
Per Cutts, an unnamed West Ham source said:
It’s hard to do business with Liverpool because they always want big numbers and the player’s personal terms are high.He is not at the top of our list but we continue to monitor the situation. It’s all a bit of a game really.Everybody knows who is interested including the player and the agents, but although we are interested there are several other irons in the fire.
Per the Sun's James Orr, Palace were preparing to make a sensational £31.5 million bid for the striker—just £1 million less than Liverpool paid for him last year.
Liverpool writer Dave O'Connell said it would be excellent for all parties:
The 25-year-old struggled to make the grade at Anfield, netting just nine Premier League goals last season.
Further, he isn't a player who fits particularly well in Reds manager Jurgen Klopp's energetic, high-intensity pressing system, which requires speed and mobility.
The Mirror's Ed Malyon and the Times' Tony Barrett believe a move to Selhurst Park could reignite his career:
Indeed, despite his failure to convince at Liverpool, Benteke has shown he can be a prolific goalscorer.
Only Roberto Firmino outscored him for the Reds in the Premier League last season, and as he made just 14 starts, his scoring record is slightly better than it appears.
At former club Aston Villa, he netted 49 goals in 101 appearances—which is not only an impressive record in a team that largely struggled during his time there, but it also shows his potential to thrive when used correctly.
WhoScored.com revealed the extent of his aerial prowess:
The Hammers could also make use of him. While they're no longer as direct as they were under former manager Sam Allardyce, there's still a place for a tall, physical centre-forward, as Andy Carroll has shown.
As for the Reds, if they can recoup the majority of the fee they spent on Carroll, it will represent an excellent bit of business and will allow them to better recover from their mistaken purchase of him.
