TBR view: Should Aston Villa consider re-signing Christian Benteke

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Aston Villa are in desperate need of a striker following the injury to Wesley Moraes in the club’s 2-1 win against Burnley on New Years Day. They have been linked with several new forwards, and one of those is former player Christian Benteke.

The Daily Telegraph has reported that Crystal Palace are willing to sell the Belgian to Villa in January, but should the club move forward with a deal?

Benteke was once a cult hero at Villa Park. He was adored amongst fans for his prolific spell with the club and rightfully so. He scored 49 goals in 101 games for the club and earned himself a move to Liverpool off the back of three hugely successful years at Villa.

It has unfortunately been all downhill since that point for the big Belgian striker. He managed just 10 goals in 42 appearances for the Merseyside club before moving to Crystal Palace in 2018, where he has scored just 21 times in 106 appearances.

A move back to Villa does not make any logical sense if you look at the 29-year-old’s recent goal record. He has not scored in any of his 15 appearances in 2019/20 and is in really poor form. Aston Villa are in real need of a prolific marksman, and Benteke is not that.

Dean Smith should avoid making a move for the Belgian at all costs. Some fans are keen to see his return but may regret it as soon as they see him play. No one in their right mind would sign a striker who has scored just three goals in his last three Premier League seasons.