London: Liverpool signed Belgian international striker Christian Benteke from Premier League rivals Aston Villa, the club announced on Wednesday. Although neither the length of the contract nor the fee were disclosed, several British media organisations said Benteke had signed a five-year deal worth £32.5 million which was the cost of the buy-out clause in his contract.
The 24-year-old’s 12 goals in as many games at the business end of last season played a key role in helping Villa avoid relegation from the lucrative top flight of English football. Liverpool signed Benteke, who still has two years left on his Villa contract, after off-loading forward Raheem Sterling to Manchester City for a record fee for an English player that could rise to as much as £49 million. “I think it was the right club for me because I had a good chat with the manager and I wanted to be part of his project,” Benteke said.
