• Striker signs contract extension to 2017
• Belgian had been linked with move to Tottenham
Christian Benteke has withdrawn a transfer request at Aston Villa and has instead signed a new contract.
In a remarkable turnaround, Christian Benteke has withdrawn his transfer request and signed a new contract at Aston Villa until 2017. The unexpected announcement came 24 hours after Benteke reported back for pre-season training and held face-to-face talks with Paul Lambert, the Villa manager, who convinced the Belgian international that, in terms of his football development, it was in his best interests to remain with the Midlands club.
Benteke had three years remaining on the deal he signed when he arrived from Genk for £7m last summer, although that has now been replaced with a much improved four-year contract, more than doubling the £20,000-a-week salary he was earning at the club. It is unclear at this stage whether there is a release clause in the new contact.
The news represents quite a coup for Villa and in particular Lambert, who refused to concede defeat and was confident that, with a World Cup on the horizon, Benteke could be talked into staying at a club where he has thrived and is guaranteed to be the first-choice striker. "I had a full and frank discussion with Christian Benteke on his return to training this week regarding his future," the Villa manager said.
"It is my opinion that the best thing for Christian is to remain at Aston Villa. He enjoyed a terrific first season at the club and can use that as a platform to hopefully enjoy more success this season. I'm delighted, having time to re-evaluate his future, Christian has decided to commit to the club. It's a huge bonus and I'm sure the supporters are every bit as delighted as me to have him on board and raring to go."
Only 11 days earlier Benteke had informed Villa that he had no desire to remain with the club, leaving Lambert "hugely disappointed". Villa, however, refused to be bullied into selling Benteke and made it clear at the outset that the 22-year-old, who was a revelation in his first season at the club, would not be leaving for anything less than £25m.
Tottenham Hotspur watched Benteke closely last season and André Villas-Boas, the club's manager, publicly spoke about his admiration for a striker who scored or created 49% of Villa's goals in the Premier League in 2012-13 – a higher proportion than any other top-flight player.
Spurs, however, have already spent £17m on the Brazilian Paulinho this summer and there were major doubts about whether Daniel Levy, the club's chairman, would be willing to break their transfer record for a second time in a couple of months. It is understood that Spurs never came close to meeting Villa's asking price.
Benteke said: "I spoke with the manager when I returned to training and we had a good talk. I am very happy to be back here in Birmingham and at Aston Villa, and to sign a new contract. This is a great club and it has given me a lot. Now I have to give back to my team-mates and the fans who have always been right behind me. The end of last season was very good and the lads were very strong. It was not easy but we came through it and the confidence is high. So everyone knows what we have to do now – be better. I need to be better than last year."
Benteke had three years remaining on the deal he signed when he arrived from Genk for £7m last summer, although that has now been replaced with a much improved four-year contract, more than doubling the £20,000-a-week salary he was earning at the club. It is unclear at this stage whether there is a release clause in the new contact.
The news represents quite a coup for Villa and in particular Lambert, who refused to concede defeat and was confident that, with a World Cup on the horizon, Benteke could be talked into staying at a club where he has thrived and is guaranteed to be the first-choice striker. "I had a full and frank discussion with Christian Benteke on his return to training this week regarding his future," the Villa manager said.
"It is my opinion that the best thing for Christian is to remain at Aston Villa. He enjoyed a terrific first season at the club and can use that as a platform to hopefully enjoy more success this season. I'm delighted, having time to re-evaluate his future, Christian has decided to commit to the club. It's a huge bonus and I'm sure the supporters are every bit as delighted as me to have him on board and raring to go."
Only 11 days earlier Benteke had informed Villa that he had no desire to remain with the club, leaving Lambert "hugely disappointed". Villa, however, refused to be bullied into selling Benteke and made it clear at the outset that the 22-year-old, who was a revelation in his first season at the club, would not be leaving for anything less than £25m.
Tottenham Hotspur watched Benteke closely last season and André Villas-Boas, the club's manager, publicly spoke about his admiration for a striker who scored or created 49% of Villa's goals in the Premier League in 2012-13 – a higher proportion than any other top-flight player.
Spurs, however, have already spent £17m on the Brazilian Paulinho this summer and there were major doubts about whether Daniel Levy, the club's chairman, would be willing to break their transfer record for a second time in a couple of months. It is understood that Spurs never came close to meeting Villa's asking price.
Benteke said: "I spoke with the manager when I returned to training and we had a good talk. I am very happy to be back here in Birmingham and at Aston Villa, and to sign a new contract. This is a great club and it has given me a lot. Now I have to give back to my team-mates and the fans who have always been right behind me. The end of last season was very good and the lads were very strong. It was not easy but we came through it and the confidence is high. So everyone knows what we have to do now – be better. I need to be better than last year."
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