Benteke prepared to leave Aston Villa

Aston Villa goal-scoring sensation Cristian Benteke revealed he is ready to leave the club, should the right offer from a top Premier League club come in.

The 22 year-old Belgium international was one of the bright spot in otherwise unsuccessful Aston Villa’s Premier League campaign. They narrowly avoided relegation not least thanks to Benteke’s 19 goals. His impressive debut season fuelled the speculation he could leave the Villa Park in summer, with Arsenal cited as the likely point of destination. And, although he is under contract with Aston Villa, Benteke refused to rule out a move to a bigger club.

He said: “If Aston Villa say I must stay, I won’t necessarily accept that. I do not in any way want to feel I didn’t get the most out of my career. I try to get everything. Of course playing the World Cup in Rio is in my head. But I have no fear of falling out of the team. There is no point in me getting into a tug-of-war with Villa.

“If the chance comes up for me to join a club like Arsenal, I’m convinced we can reach a compromise where everyone comes out a winner,” he added.