Liverpool are closing in on a deal for Aston Villa hitman Christian Benteke, according to reports.
Benteke has long been linked with a move to the Reds, and The Mirror reports the Merseyside club have now decided to match the Belgian’s £32.5m buyout clause.
The 24-year-old is understood to still be at Aston Villa’s training camp in Portugal but is unlikely to play in the Midlands side’s clash with Sporting Braga on Friday.
Benteke is likely to become the second most expensive signing in Liverpool’s history, but the Reds can afford to stump up the cash following the £49m sale of Raheem Sterling to Manchester City.
The Mirror reports that Benteke’s signing will take Liverpool’s spending to £80m this summer following the additions of Roberto Firmino, Nathaniel Clyne, Adam Bogdan and Joe Gomez.
James Milner and Danny Ings were signed as free agents, however the Reds were forced to pay Burnley a compensation fee for Ings.
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