Aston Villa have rebuffed Roma's advances for Christian Benteke by telling them the striker is not for sale this summer, according to Sports Direct News. Roma director of football Walter Sabatini is understood to be keen on the 22-year-old, and wants to take Benteke to Italy. However, Villa value the Belgian international at £30 million and the forward penned a new four-year contract last month after performing a U-Turn and agreeing to stay with the Midlands club. Benteke had handed in a written transfer request but dramatically withdrew it following a meeting with Villa boss Paul Lambert and instead signed a renewal. Until then, the starlet - who has already scored three Premier League goals this season in as many games - had been linked with a move to Tottenham but the London club failed to match Villa's then-£25 million valuation. The youngster already looks as though he could be one of the Premier League's stand-out stars this season and it is little surprise he has attracted interest from Roma. But Villa have made it clear that the plan is for Benteke to stay with them this season and then go to the World Cup with Belgium, after which, his future is again expected to be subjected to renewed uncertainty.
Joseph is an accredited football journalist and has interviewed nearly all of the current 20 Barclay's Premier League managers. He is also a correspondent for Bleacher Report and has written for Caught Offside and Give Me Football.
