Liverpool reach deal with Villa for Benteke

What is important to note is that Benteke can play football with the ball at his feet as well as being a threat in aerial duels, he also is quite a good dribbler.

Last summer, manager Brendan Rodgers used the money from Suarez’ departure and invested in a slew of players, including midfielders Emre Can, Lazar Markovic, Adam Lallana, and strikers Rickie Lambert and Mario Balotelli.

Charlton Athletic have agreed a deal to sign Algeria worldwide midfielder Ahmed Kashi from French club Metz.

The encouraging performances of Gomez in the warm-up games has also convinced the club the youngster will be competing for a position in defence immediately. The transfer fee is the second-largest in Liverpool’s history, placing Benteke ahead of Roberto Firmino, who held the honor for only a couple weeks earlier this summer, and behind Andy Carroll, who cost the club £35m back in January of 2011.

Benteke has enjoyed a prolific spell in his time at Aston Villa, and last season scored 15 goals in all competitions following his return from injury. He has double figures in all three seasons at Villa Park – including the 13 scored last campaign, despite missing nine games due to a ruptured achilles.

And they’ll need scoring punch; especially with the previously mentioned issues of Sturridge’s fitness and Sterling’s absence.

Vlaar said: “Even now when I think about it, the news is very hard to swallow”.

That’s because it has dribbled repeatedly from the mouths of dead-eyed ex-pros in the Sky Sports studio and seeped into the everyday footballing lexicon. Upon looking into this more it was clear that Benteke thrived under Sherwood because Sherwood played to his strengths.

It’s worth remembering that the forward has been the glue holding Villa’s feeble attempts to retain Premier League status for some time. The Belgian has been the manager’s number one striking target all summer and having got him, Rodgers is confident the final element of his new-look team is in position. He has won the league and he will bring something different.

All great sagas must come to a close one day.

“With the service he will get from the likes of Firmino, Coutinho, Lallana and Markovic, I expect him to do very well”.

How should Rodgers use Benteke?

Roberts is City’s fourth summer signing, and the third Englishman following the arrivals of Raheem Sterling from Liverpool, Fabian Delph from Villa and young Turkey striker Enes Unal from Bursaspor.

It’s a signing that feels like a compromise, and if it is to work then that is exactly what Rodgers must now do.