Jose Mourinho green lights move for Christian Benteke

According to Football Insider (h/t Daily Star), Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho has given the greenlight to the club to make a move for Crystal Palace striker Christian Benteke.

The 29-year-old came through the ranks at Belgian outfit Standard Liege, before joining the KRC Genk youth setup, only to return to the former outfit a few years later. He then had loan stints away at KV Kortrijk and KV Mechelen before returning to Genk for a second permanent spell.

After a year, Benteke moved to England, joining Aston Villa in 2012. The Belgian international was a hit at the Villa Park, scoring 49 goals in 101 appearances, before earning himself a big money move to Liverpool in 2015. After one difficult year at Anfield, Crystal Palace snapped him up in 2016, but he has struggled at the Selhurst Park as well.

In 116 appearances till date, Benteke has scored just 23 goals. Over the past three seasons combined, the 29-year-old has scored just six times in the Premier League, which indicate his endless struggles in front of goal.

However, Mourinho’s desperation to sign a new striker has now reportedly seen him sanction a move for the Belgian international.

It is no secret that Spurs are in the market for a new centre-forward. The club lack any sort of natural cover for star striker Harry Kane. And with Son Heung-min also sidelined with an injury, bringing in a new striker is a must before the transfer window closes.

This desperation has now seen the club line up a move for Benteke.

More Tottenham Hotspur News

• AC Milan in talks with Tottenham Hotspur for Serge Aurier
• Tottenham Hotspur in talks for Napoli star Arkadiusz Milik
• Jose Mourinho unhappy as Tottenham Hotspur fail to bring in a striker

Benteke’s form has been on the downslide for the last couple of years. While he is experienced in the Premier League, signing him might not be the most ideal option for the club. It remains to be seen if there is any progress on this front in the coming days. The transfer window closes on October 5.