Reds Target Told To 'Forget Liverpool Move'

Ex-Liverpool player Danny Murphy says former club won't pay up for 'risky' signing...

By Teodora Lyubomirova /

Former Liverpool winger Danny Murphy urged Christian Benteke to remain at Villa park for at least another season to get under the radar of bigger clubs. The sought-after Belgian striker, who scored 13 times in the 12 games he played for Tim Sherwood's side, has been strongly linked to a switch to Anfield this summer despite the striker's injury woes. But Murphy, who was a part of Liverpool's 2003 treble-winning team, suggested it could be wiser for Benteke to snub the Reds and focus on completing a 'sensational season' at Villa to prove his worth. Speaking to talkSPORT, Murphy said: "He wouldn't get into Manchester City, Chelsea or even Arsenal€™s side at the moment, so it would be more like a Liverpool or a Tottenham ." The ex-Liverpool player expressed doubts about his former club meeting the buy-out clause for a 'risky' signing that could potentially struggle to return to form. "They€™re never going to pay £32.5 million to get him - last season he didn't play well enough for a long enough and that was partly down to injuries," explained the pundit. "I would suggest to him stay another year , play 35 games, get 20 goals, and then you might get a move to one of the big boys. I think because he€™s got age on his side, staying at Villa and having a sensational season might benefit him better in the long-term," concluded Murphy.