Crystal Palace haven’t started the season in flying fashion after failing to win any of their two opening games.
Roy Hodgson’s side have been notoriously slow starters but in the previous game against Sheffield, they started with an attacking pair of Wilfried Zaha and Christian Benteke.
Zaha has been one of the best in the Premier League and has saved Palace in recent years. Benteke, on the other hand, has struggled for goals in the past two seasons and the Daily Mail reports that the Eagles will offer him a new deal.
The Belgian joined the Eagles from Liverpool and is a free agent at the end of this season, but Palace shouldn’t consider offering him a new contract.
The former Aston Villa striker was one of the most feared strikers when starring for the Villans, and his move to Liverpool did not pay off.
Benteke was recording double-digit returns at Villa while his only season at Liverpool saw him bag nine goals in the Premier League.
The Belgian was shipped off to Palace in 2016 and he bagged 15 goals from 36 games. However, things haven’t improved for the striker as he has only scored four goals in the last two campaigns.
That is a below-par return for a player that had the potential of Benteke. The forward is still great at winning aerial duels but Palace need more than that if they want to remain in the Premier League.
Zaha alone cannot get the goals and it would be better for Hodgson if he paired the Ivorian with Connor Wickham or Jordan Ayew for a while.
The Mail claims that offering Benteke a new deal will keep his value protected and are open to letting him leave.
However, there are no guarantees that he will attract a sizeable offer in the coming transfer windows.
Handing Benteke a new deal might ensure he doesn’t leave on a free but it is to be seen how much they can get for the Belgian.
His powers are on the wane and selling him now or even in the winter window makes more sense as Palace could still get something for the 28-year-old.
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