His attributes are exactly what we have needed since the departure of Suarez, and it is over-simplistic and naive to suggest he is merely a target man that poses an aerial threat. Benteke is accomplished with the ball at his feet, possesses good close control, is capable of beating opponents in one-on-one scenarios, can hold the ball up which allows others into the game, has an eye for a pass and, needless to say, scored 49 goals in 100 Aston Villa appearances.
Given Benteke has these qualities, Brendan Rodgers was right to say that Liverpool need not change their style of play in order to suit his game. The Belgian international is more than capable of stepping in to Liverpool’s possession-dominated style of play and has the necessary skills to add to this approach. Players such as Coutinho, Firmino and Adam Lallana will benefit from Benteke being in the side; the striker will be able to hold up play, enabling these players the opportunity to find space in and around the box.
The striker’s goal-scoring record speaks for itself, with 42 goals in 88 league appearances, meaning he has one of the best goal-to-game ratios of any Premier League player of the previous three seasons. His record at international level is also impressive, with 7 goals in 24 appearances for Belgium.
If he maintains these impressive goal-scoring levels, he will undoubtedly be a major asset to Liverpool, but the club’s other forwards may also be beneficiaries of Benteke signing. Danny Ings, for example, could provide the necessary assets for an effective partnership with the Belgian: Ings’ intelligent style of play could be harnessed to get the best out of Benteke, and vice-versa. If Benteke comes deep to pick up the ball, as he often does, Ings would be able to position himself further forward and ready himself for through-balls on the front foot. Divock Origi is another striker who could partner Benteke if Rodgers decides to play with 2 orthodox strikers and, when fit, Daniel Sturridge playing alongside the Belgian would be a frightening prospect for opposition defenders.
Another over-looked attribute of Benteke’s game is his Premier League experience, as although much has been said of his goal-scoring exploits, it has not been emphasised that he has been achieving these feats at the top level; his record is particularly impressive when one considers that he has been playing for a team that has been battling relegation over much of the previous three seasons. Although it may take him some time to find his feet at a new club, he does not need to acclimatise to the English league, and this can only be advantageous for Liverpool.
Overall, I believe Brendan Rodgers has made a very shrewd signing and, ultimately, Benteke will be a crucial player for the Reds in the coming season and beyond. If the striker can continue to score goals at the rate he has done for Aston Villa and Belgium over the past few years, Liverpool will be fighting for a Champions League position, and hopefully some silverware.
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