Lambert hoping to hold on to Belgian international for another season.
Aston Villa have reportedly slapped a £25m price-tag on Belgian striker Christian Benteke to fend off interest from the likes of Tottenham.
According to the Sunday Mirror, Tottenham lead the race for the 22-year-old, with the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool also keen on signing the star after he scored 19 goals in his debut season in the Premier League.
However, interest in the prolific striker is spread across Europe too, with Atletico Madrid interested in making the Belgian a replacement for Radamel Falcao, while Serie A side Fiorentina have previously been linked with a move too.
Nevertheless, Villa are keen to not lose their most prized asset this summer, and with three years still remaining on his contract, the club are expected to make it difficult for any interested parties to snap him up.
Villa boss Paul Lambert has been clear from the outset, with his belief that Benteke will benefit from another season at Villa Park ahead of the World Cup in Brazil next summer.
The guarantee of regular football would aid his bid to cement his place in the starting line-up of the Belgian national team, although given Villa have been active in the transfer market already, it remains to be seen whether Benteke is still an automatic starter.
Amongst Lambert’s new recruits this summer, is former Aalborg striker Nicklas Helenius, who would be in direct competition with Benteke next season.
The Danish giant is expected to play a prominent role next season, however, Villa are keen to hold on to all their young stars as they hope to build on last season.
Unless their Premier League rivals come up with a significant offer this summer, it would appear that Benteke will still be at Villa Park at the start of next season.
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