David Richard-US PRESSWIRE
Chelsea are reported to be preparing a bid for Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke, a man who lit up the Premier League during his first season in England and gained admirers across the country.
In his first season with the Villans after joining from Genk on a four-year contract for £7 million ($10.4 milion), Benteke scored 23 goals in all competitions, including 19 in the Premier League.
His goals on an inconsistent team that was battling relegation for most of the season are one reason that Benteke would flourish at Chelsea, should he make the move to London. The Belgian showed a superb ability to adapt to his new surroundings and was happy to shoulder the goalscoring burden to help move Villa away from danger.
Should he become one of the Blues, Benteke would again be pitched into a high-pressure situation, with the Londoners challenging for the Premier League title and also the Champions League. However, the indications are that he would be able to cope with whatever tests he would come up against.
Meanwhile, Chelsea have some issues up front, with the misfiring Fernando Torres now seemingly being forced out of Stamford Bridge and replaced by younger strikers. However, last season, Benteke showed himself capable of filling the shoes of a more experienced striker as he usurped Darren Bent at Aston Villa, having previously been expected to play a lesser role behind the England international.
Also, should he make the move to Chelsea, Benteke would almost certainly link up with Romelu Lukaku, a fellow Belgian striker who is hopeful of playing a big role for the Blues after a successful loan spell with West Bromwich Albion last season. He would also join other Belgians Eden Hazard and possibly Kevin De Bruyne, and with the Belgium national team one of the most feared in Europe, this attacking quartet could strike similar fear among Premier League teams.
Benteke is a young player with a great deal of potential, and his development could be further accelerated with a move to Chelsea.
Chris Teale is a British-American Soccer and MLB writer for Rant Sports. You can follow him on Twitter here or view his writer’s page here.
