Crystal Palace make improved offer for Christian Benteke

Crystal Palace are hopeful an improved offer potentially worth a club record £31.5 million will persuade Liverpool to part with Christian Benteke as Alan Pardew seeks to revamp his squad for the new Premier League campaign.

Last week an opening bid of £25 million was rejected by Liverpool for the Belgium forward, who cost £32.5 million when joining from Aston Villa a year ago. Palace’s new proposal is understood to be worth an initial £27 million.

Personal terms are not expected to prove problematic because the 25-year-old is keen to revive his career. Benteke scored 10 goals in 42 appearances for Liverpool, joining initially under Brendan Rodgers, but failing to convince Jürgen Klopp that he will be a key player under the German’s regime.

The striker has attracted interest from West Ham United this summer, but is believed to be willing to move to Selhurst Park, with Palace having failed to sign his compatriot Michy Batshuayi. The latter has since joined Chelsea for £33.2 million.

Benteke would join Andros Townsend, a £13 million arrival from Newcastle United, and the France No2 goalkeeper, Steve Mandanda, who has been signed from Marseille for £1.4 million, at Palace.

He should soon be followed by West Ham’s James Tomkins. The former England under-21 international is expected to complete a £12 million move across the capital.

New deal

There remains the possibility that

Yannick Bolasie

could depart Palace this summer. The DR Congo winger, such an integral part of the club’s emergence over the past few years, had been in talks over a new deal and it would take an offer in excess of £20 million to persuade Palace to sell. West Ham have been mooted as potential suitors.

Meanwhile Alex Ferguson has backed Ryan Giggs’s decision to leave Manchester United, saying it is time for the Welshman to stand on “his own feet” and accept the challenge of being a manager elsewhere. Giggs was at United for 29 years until he departed on Saturday, after the 42-year-old was passed over for the role of assistant to José Mourinho.

Giggs stated he wanted to pursue management elsewhere, and Ferguson told BBC Sport: “It is time Ryan stood on his own feet, got out there and accepted the challenge. I talk about his poker face. He has a bit of steel about him.” Guardian Service