Liverpool have had the pleasure of seeing an abundance of talent grace the pitch at Anfield, with Jurgen Klopp’s current crop of superstars adding to the mix of heroes on Merseyside.
The German has managed a host of quality during his tenure as manager of the Reds, with many assisting him in becoming the first Liverpool boss to lead his side to the Premier League title.
From Mohamed Salah to Virgil Van Dijk, Klopp has orchestrated the signings of integral figures to help him to unlock forbidden doors at Anfield, however it’s not just the former Borussia Dortmund manager that has tested such waters on Merseyside.
Before Klopp came Brendan Rodgers, who looked like he would be the man responsible for delivering Liverpool their first Premier League title before narrowly missing out on the prize in the 2013/14 campaign.
Like Klopp, the Northern Irishman was responsible for many encouraging and pivotal acquisitions at the club, not many as memorable as Philippe Coutinho.
While Rodgers achieved his goal in getting the best out of the Brazilian, he wasn’t as successful in reaping the benefits of some of the other signings he welcomed to Anfield, with one name unable to live up to the high expectations set on him following his arrival.
When did Liverpool sign Christian Benteke?
In the summer of 2015, Liverpool welcomed Aston Villa talisman Christian Benteke to the fold, agreeing a £32.5m deal with the Midlands outfit for the Belgian.
Arriving at Anfield at the age of 24, Benteke had already showcased his worth in the Premier League, having scored 42 goals in 89 league appearances for the Villans following his touchdown in England in 2012.
It was a strong deal for all involved, as the Reds captured the signature of the seasoned goalscorer, as they continued to find a solution for a void in the front line left by a heartbreaking departure the year prior.
What was the reaction when Liverpool signed Christian Benteke?
At the time when Benteke was signed, Liverpool continued to search for a solution for the loss of sharpshooter Luis Suarez.
From Mario Balotelli to Rickie Lambert, Rodgers was unable to even closely replicate the Uruguayan, who had signed for Barcelona in the summer of 2014.
In Benteke, there was hope that the aura of a natural goalscorer could be reinstated to the front line, as highlighted by the club’s rumoured stance on the Belgian prior to the two pivotal transfers.
In 2013, it was reported by the Daily Mail, as relayed by Transfer News Live on Twitter X, that Liverpool would look at Benteke as a potential candidate to replace Suarez, as speculation regarding his future came to light the year prior to his exit to Barcelona.
Following his arrival, a report by the Guardian added fuel to the narrative of Rodgers’ desperation to seek a replacement for Suarez, with writer Paul Wilson explaining in his column that Benteke could give the Reds ‘hope’ despite being without their famed forward.
After bidding farewell to Anfield on the back of a Premier League campaign that saw him score 31 goals and register 17 assists in 33 appearances, the chances of Liverpool ever truly replacing the Uruguayan were slim, but with Benteke was the promise that the void could be shrunk.
How many goals did Christian Benteke score at Liverpool?
In the 2012/13 campaign, which marked Benteke’s first season in England, the Belgian was only four goals shy (19) of Suarez’s tally in the Premier League that year, highlighting just how potent his presence in the final third could be.
Unfortunately for the striker, his stature and strengths weren’t utilised as efficiently as they were at Villa Park, as the success of the set-up that Rodgers had become accustomed to with Suarez involved was still in operation, just without him.
During his time in the Midlands, Benteke’s tally never slipped under ten goals in a Premier League season, however on Merseyside, his tally never reached such highs.
In 29 appearances in the 2015/16 campaign, the £100k-per-week forward scored just nine goals, with his total record in all competitions being ten goals in 42 appearances as his proficiency in front of goal was unable to be translated at Anfield.
Christian Benteke's record in the Premier League
Season
Club
Apps
Goals
2012/13
Aston Villa
34
19
2013/14
Aston Villa
26
10
2014/15
Aston Villa
29
13
2015/16
Liverpool
29
9
2016/17
Crystal Palace
36
15
2017/18
Crystal Palace
31
3
2018/19
Crystal Palace
16
1
2019/20
Crystal Palace
24
2
2020/21
Crystal Palace
30
10
2021/22
Crystal Palace
25
4
Figures via Transfermarkt
As a result, just one year after signing, Benteke was sold to Crystal Palace to begin the next chapter of his career, drawing a line under his mishaps at Liverpool in what can only be described as a bump in the path of his goal scoring trajectory.
Did Christian Benteke live up to expectation at Liverpool?
As explained by journalist James Pearce, the Belgian was simply “the wrong player at the wrong time” for the Reds, particularly as the squad was in transition after the sacking of Rodgers just months after Benteke’s arrival.
Despite his stellar start to life in the Premier League in England, it quickly became apparent that the £32.5m acquisition was to join the queue behind Lambert and Balotelli as the strikers that had failed to imitate the influence of Suarez.
It was a hefty challenge to assume the former Villa sensation to carry, even more so during a time when form was poor and a change in manager made his claim to starting fixtures even more difficult.
For his nine goals in the league, it’s simple to class Benteke’s time at Anfield as a failure, however when revising the climate of the club and the expectations that floated around him as a 24-year-old, the forward was another piece of a transitioning puzzle as the tides turned on Merseyside.
What is Christian Benteke doing now?
Ironically, the striker went on to score 15 league goals the campaign after his exit from Liverpool, and went on to score 37 goals in all competitions for Palace during his six-year stay in south London.
Last summer, the 32-year-old called it a day on his career in England, as he signed for MLS club DC United, where he has so far scored 15 goals in 41 appearances for the American side.
Arguably, Liverpool never found their replacement for Suarez, but instead discovered a shift in set-up that enabled stars to fulfil the impact that the Uruguayan had on the club, easing the expectations of strikers that have departed and are still to come.
Benteke’s time at Anfield was far from something to shout about, however the Belgian will always be fondly remembered for his stint representing the Reds at a time when change was desperately searched for.
