Aston Villa set mega asking price for Christian Benteke to scare off suitors.
Aston Villa will demand an astonishing £40m for Arsenal, Tottenham and Atletico Madrid target Christian Benteke, reports the Daily Mirror.
The in-demand Belgian has been linked with a move away from Villa Park this summer, after a stunning debut season in the Premier League.
But Villa boss Paul Lambert hopes that the club’s monstrous valuation of the 22-year-old will scare off his suitors.
The Midlands outfit are reportedly resigned to losing Benetek in the long-term but are determined to keep the powerful forward this summer.
La Liga giants Atletico have reportedly identified the Belgium international as their top target to replace Colombian sensation Radamel Falcao, who joined Monaco for £50m last week.
The Spaniards’ director general Miguel Angel Gil Marin has reportedly held talks with Benteke’s representatives and claims he has had discussions with Villa over a potential summer move.
Spurs meanwhile are said to be ready to offer England international Jermain Defoe plus cash to land Benteke, who scored 19 league goals for the Villains last term.
The north London outfit are in desperate need of a forward, after disappointing seasons for both Defoe and Emmanuel Adebayor.
Arsenal, meanwhile, are also in the hunt for a top-class centre-forward this summer, and have been linked with the likes of David Villa, Stevan Jovetic and Benteke.
Villa paid Genk just £8m for the striker last summer.
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