Brendan Rodgers: ‘Christian Benteke will prove to be a bargain’

Liverpool have also signed the likes of Adam Bogdan, Nathaniel Clyne, Roberto Firmino, Joe Gomez, Danny Ings and James Milner this summer, but Rodgers went on to express that Benteke in particular can enjoy incredible success. Last season they weren’t.

Balotelli managed only one goal in 16 league appearances last season, and is now surplus to requirements at Anfield after the transfer of Christian Benteke.

On that goal against St Etienne St Etienne has been unbelievable for me – I get the impression sometimes that it was the only goal I ever scored for Liverpool because it is most often the one that is remembered.

“I think he’ll prove to be a bargain for the club, I really do”, The Daily Mail quote Rodgers as saying.

Mr Rodgers earns about £5million a year as Liverpool’s boss, including bonuses – and could have earned more than £20million by the time his current contract with the club expires in 2018.

The Northern Irishman believes regardless of the omission of the Reds’ two most expensive summer signings, the 16-man squad for the friendly are a “very strong group” – insisting that everyone, bar Coutinho, has been in the side throughout pre-season. If Liverpool had maintained their top four surge from January and won the key games, maybe they play Champions League football this season.

Benteke is yet to make his debut for the Merseyside club and was not named in the Liverpool squad that travelled to Helsinki to face HJK on Saturday, 1 August.

Fernando Torres enjoyed the best years of his career in the number 9 of Liverpool before the club seemed to lose all interest in the shirt number. If Liverpool hadn’t lost to Chelsea, maybe they win the league.

He’s had a flawless role model in Stevie, he’s been on the shoulder of Stevie for a year to see how it all works and he’ll have picked up a lot from him. I think what we’ve seen in pre-season so far is very much an emphasis on getting the full-backs into attacking positions. He’s not just a guy who you chuck the ball up to.