The winter transfer window is suddenly looming in the near future, and considering the make-up of the Premier League’s summit at the moment, it could prove to be a vital one for all clubs involved in the English title race.
One of the leading stories in the tabloids preceding the market’s reopening in January has been Arsenal and Tottenham’s hunt for a new centre-forward.
Both North London outfits are lacking in quality in depth in the final third, with the Gunners needing an adequate deputy for the in-form Olivier Giroud (that isn’t Nicolas Bentdner) and Spurs desperate to sign any striker who can find them a Premier League goal in open play.
Various names, ranging from Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema to Burnley’s Danny Ings, have been floating around in the backpages, but there’s a simple solution for both clubs right under their Premier League noses – Aston Villa star Christian Benteke.
Arsenal and Tottenham were both linked to the beastly Belgian in the summer, following reports that he’d handed in a transfer request at Villa Park, but eventually abstained from the opportunity to snap up one of the Premier League’s rising stars for a reported £20million.
With glaring flaws in their strikeforces in the first half of the season however, both clubs should look to revive their interest in January.
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Benteke burst onto the Premier League scene last season after Paul Lambert signed him for just £7million from Belgian side FC Genk. The nominal fee for the forward powerhouse has proved to be a real coup, with Benteke netting 19 times in his inaugural Premier League campaign and emerging as a talismanic force in the Birmingham outfit’s top flight survival last season, all at the tender age of 22.
Amid Arsenal and Tottenham’s brief interest in the summer, many fans rejected notions that the Belgian hitman was ready for the step up to a Champions League club, claiming Benteke was simply the ‘flavour of the month’ and landing him with the rather unenviable ‘one-season wonder’ tag.
But yet again, Benteke’s quality has shone through; despite battling with injury, he’s found four goals in nine starts this term. Before his brief stint on the sidelines, the Villa star’s early season four-goal haul made him the Premier League’s top scorer since the turn of the year, coinciding with his club’s continual rise in form.
Not that he’s all about goals. Benteke measures in at 6 foot 3 and bares pace, power and mobility. As well as being a lethal threat in the air, he’s comfortable with his back to goal and bringing others into play. A strong understanding with strike partner Andreas Weimann last term also showed the Villia talisman’s more cultured side, perhaps best portrayed by the duo’s fine combination play against Liverpool last December, with Benteke’s back heel flick leading to the Austrian’s cool finish in a 3-1 win, the other two goals from the Belgian himself.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m by no means declaring the 22 year-old is the finished product. A 57% pass completion ratio this season suggests obvious weaknesses to the technical side of his game, and a red card at the end of last term showed the Villa forward requires maturity; had it not been for Wigan’s defeat to Arsenal a week later, Benteke’s self-created absence could have well cost his club their Premier League status.
But if we extrapolate his efforts in the English top flight thus far over the next ten years, it’s glaringly obvious Benteke has all the raw ingredients to become one of the division’s flagship stars.
He’s already a regular fixture for the Belgium national team, and the 2014 World Cup could well prove to be the tournament in which the Aston Villa man truly comes of age, although the monumental rise of the almost identical in style Romelu Lukaku could stand in his way.
Furthermore, the kind of service Benteke provides is what both North London clubs should be searching for in January.
For Arsenal, he’d bring a similar skills set to the final third as current front man Olivier Giroud, albeit rather rougher round the edges. Using his powerful frame, the Villa Park star would act as a pillar to instigate attacks and bring the Gunners’ incredibly talented midfield into play, a method in which, through the hard graft and guile of Olivier Giroud, has spawned 15 of the Emirates outfit’s 24 Premier League goals this season. He may be yet to claim an assist, in comparison to the Frenchman’s four, but it’s worth noting Benteke is currently averaging 2.1 key passes per game, according to Whoscored.
And for Spurs, Benteke would provide a much-needed variation in style from Jermain Defoe and Roberto Soldado, who both decisively belong to the ‘poacher’ category of striker. With neither Tottenham forward measuring in at above 5 foot 10 or donning any physical prowess, the Lilywhites’ need for something different up top has become glaringly obvious by the fact they’ve averaged just 0.75 goals per game this season.
That’s what the 22 year-old can bring to the table – he’s a natural target man, an individualist type of striker, capable of leading the line on his own with enough athleticism to physically dominate two opposing centre-backs. He’s also a useful tool outside of the box – unlike Soldado – often instigating Villa counter-attacks by beating defenders to the ball on the break, be it on the ground or in the air.
Perhaps most importantly however, Benteke has developed an astute knack of scoring against the Premier League’s bigger sides – something which will be vital for both Spurs and Arsenal this season if they’re to achieve their ultimate aims, and an issue that’s continually haunted them in the past. He’s already bagged a brace at the Emirates this year and got on the score sheet against Chelsea, whilst last season he netted twice against Liverpool and Everton.
Benteke is a player for the future capable of have an immediate effect. Furthermore, he’s already established himself at Premier League level, and clearly has all the characteristics to remain an effective target man in the English game, regardless of the recent slump in his goal-scoring form since picking up a knock in late September.
In my opinion at least, the risk for Arsenal and Tottenham is slim, but as a result, Benteke’s price-tag could be a monolithic stumbling block. Having snubbed the chance to snap him up in the summer, Villa can now hold potential suitors to ransom after tying down their star striker to a long-term deal at the start of the season, especially if they’re to let him join another English club mid-campaign.
Considering he was valued at £20million six months ago, before he signed a new contract and carried his goal-scoring form into the current term, Benteke’s price-tag could well have risen to the £30million mark.
But that doesn’t take away from the fact the 22 year-old is obviously a safe investment, that will not only contribute Tottenham and Arsenal’s aims this season but also help them build for the campaigns to come.
I strongly urge both clubs to make a move for the Aston Villa ace in January whilst the iron’s still hot, and before his price further escalates at the 2014 World Cup.
Should Spurs or Arsenal snap up Benteke in January?
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