Crystal Palace have completed the signing of striker Christian Benteke on a four-year deal from Premier League rivals Liverpool.
The Eagles have not disclosed how much they have paid for the Belgium international but reports suggest they have spent an initial £27million on the forward, plus £5million in add-ons, making the transfer a club-record deal.
The 25-year-old only joined Liverpool for £32.5million from Aston Villa last summer but struggled to earn a regular spot in Jurgen Klopp’s starting line-up, although he did score nine Premier League goals during his sole season at Anfield.
The former Genk ace becomes Palace’s fourth signing of the summer following the arrivals of Andros Townsend, James Tomkins and Steve Mandanda.
Benteke told his new club’s official website: “I’m very happy to commit my future to Crystal Palace and I’m looking forward to meeting the manager, the players and the staff.
“I feel really happy that the deal has been done and now I can look forward.”
Benteke has an impressive scoring record in English football, as he has found the back of the net 51 times in 118 top-flight appearances, and he will bolster a Palace attack that also contains the likes of Fraizer Campbell and Connor Wickham.
Palace finished 15th last season although they will fancy their chances of enjoying a better campaign this term. They are available at 51.00 to claim a top-four finish.
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