Crystal Palace’s long-winded pursuit of Liverpool striker Christian Benteke appears to have finally paid off.
The London club will shell out an initial £27m pounds for the Belgian frontman, with an expected £5m in add-ons over time.
Benteke was bought for £32.5m in July 2015 under the Brendan Rodgers regime, however he failed to assert himself as a regular in Jurgen Klopp’s calculations and the exit door loomed large.
Alan Pardew will now work with a player he branded a ‘cheat’ just five months ago when he suggested the 25-year-old dived and was awarded a last minute penalty which won a dramatic match for Liverpool.
Here are some of the best reactions on Twitter following the news:
So many people writing off Benteke. Money well spent by Palace IMO. Would have gladly had him at West Ham. https://t.co/KvExklAQ5B
— Spencer FC (@SpencerOwen) August 18, 2016
Great business by LFC getting their money back on Benteke! Good luck to the lad now! #LFC
— Graeme Kelly (@GraemeKelly1) August 18, 2016
Benteke: only Aguero, Kane, Vardy, Giroud & Carroll had a better scoring rate last season (of players with 1000mins or more)…
— Michael Cox (@Zonal_Marking) August 18, 2016
Still baffles me that we sold Carroll because he didn't fit our style of play only to go and spend £32m on a similar player in Benteke.
— LFC News (@LFCTransferNRS) August 18, 2016
Getting our money back for Benteke is Liverpool's greatest achievement since Istanbul
— Ü (@ThoseScouseLads) August 18, 2016
Getting our money back on Benteke? #LFC pic.twitter.com/XQ6ffVEWo1
— THE ANFIELD WRAP (@TheAnfieldWrap) August 18, 2016
Benteke was another player that was wrongly bought by Brendan Rodgers. Very good player at the wrong club. Wish him nothing but the best.
— – (@AnfieldRd96) August 18, 2016
Amazing that #LFC are getting most of their money back for Benteke! Never worked out and most of us predicted that it wouldn't!
— Snowdogg7 (@snowdogg7) August 18, 2016
Crazy to think that on two occasions, a side thought Benteke was worth 32 mil
— Jame (@Jamie_Nunn) August 18, 2016
If Benteke was worth £32.5m last year, Palace have got a great deal in getting him for less in this year's inflated market.
— Hemal (@IAMHEMALP) August 18, 2016
#LFC have now recouped £72m from the sales of Benteke, Allen,Skrtel, Ibe, Brad Smith, Sinclair and Sergi Canos this summer
— Billy Liddell (@Liddellpool) August 18, 2016
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