Liverpool have endured a mixed start to the 2016-2017 campaign, after winning the opening weekend game against Arsenal, the confidence was sky high. However, Klopp and his men were brought down to earth with a 2-0 defeat against Burnley last weekend. Klopp has purchased a host of new players this summer, who will definitely add more quality to the squad but with every arrival, there are players who are also shown the exit door.
This week Crystal Palace announced that they had signed Belgian striker Christian Benteke from Liverpool. Benteke joined the Reds last season for a fee of £32.5m, the third most expensive signing for the club at that time but he leaves with a very disappointing campaign behind his back, where he scored 9 goals in 29 Premier League appearances.
After Benteke’s arrival at Anfield, many people doubted Rodgers’ ability to integrate the big Belgian into his plans and playing style. When a club acquires a player for a hefty transfer fee, they generally have a plan in place to get the best out of the player. From his previous stint at Aston Villa, it was clear, he was someone who liked the ball being played directly into the box, something that goes against Liverpool’s philosophy of speedy interplay with high pressing. From moving to England in 2012 to joining Liverpool, Benteke had scored the most number of headed goals in the Premier League and had also won the most aerial duels in that time.
Therefore it was clear what Rodgers needed to do to get the player firing. However, the fact that Liverpool had put the fewest crosses the season before he arrived and Rodgers’ tendency to keep the ball moving on the floor, showed that unless the manager changes his style, it was never going to work.
After a strong start to the campaign, Benteke slowly faded away. He did have some magical moments like the exquisite overhead kick against Manchester United. Soon, he suffered an injury and by the time he came back, the Northern Irishman was gone. He was replaced by Jurgen Klopp. Though there were some positive signs at the start, one always felt that Benteke could never be the main man up front for Liverpool.
Klopp’s men finished the season with two unsuccessful final appearances, all this while Benteke stayed at the peripheries of the manager’s plans. Therefore it is no surprise to see Liverpool happily accepting a bid from Crystal Palace which almost matches the price they paid 12 months ago. A rare piece of good business for the Reds. This will be a perfect opportunity for Benteke to revive his career at Crystal Palace where he can play to his strengths, therefore there is a good chance that he will flourish again.