City set to target a move for Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke.
Manchester City have turned their attentions towards the signing of in form Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke as manager Manuel Pellegrini looks to add a fourth striker to his squad, report the Sun, with the Belgian international the latest player to be considered as the replacement for Alvaro Negredo, who was allowed to depart on loan to Valencia in the summer.
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Benteke has been one of Villa’s few impressive players this season and looks like the West Midlands’ club only consistent source of goals, meaning that Paul Lambert’s side will be loathe to allow the former Genk man to leave, but a previous transfer request that was handed in by Benteke last summer could indicate that he would jump at the chance to leave Villa Park.
Injuries to strikers Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic in recent weeks have exposed the lack of depth in the position that Pellegrini has available to him, with teenager Jose Pozo and midfielder James Milner being used as emergency strikers, and it looks certain that City will target a new forward in January.
Benteke’s eligiblity for the Champions League will certainly make him more attractive to the Premier League champions, although the fact that they are at the limit of overseas players does mean that one foreign star would have to leave to make room in the Etihad Stadium squad.