Loyal or just self interested at Aston Villa?

The Belgian frontman had found himself in high demand this summer following continual pursuit from Tottenham and a host of other clubs. A deal indeed seemed likely after Benteke handed in a transfer request to Aston Villa. However, last week any potential for a move seemed to be quashed with the announcement that he had signed a new deal with the Premier League club. Was this surprise turn of events a question of club loyalty of just self-interest?

Loyalty in modern football is an incredibly perplexing notion. Largely gone are the days of the one club man happy to tie his colours to the mast. Can you imagine the likes of a Jimmy Armfield or Stan Cullis handing in a transfer request to push through a move?  This isn’t loyalty of any kind, this is simply holding out for the best deal. I don’t begrudge Benteke nor am I surprised at his actions. In a world of money enthused agents, it is commonplace for a player of Benteke’s calibre to work his situation to an advantage. In signing a new contract, with what I presume is a higher wage packet, the player has achieved exactly that. If Villa were unwilling to up Benteke’s wages it would have been interesting to see where his view on loyalty stood then.

Paul Lambert outlined the change of heart in his comments made on the clubs website:

“Having had time to re-evaluate his future Christian Benteke has decided to commit to the club,”

I would presume Lambert would have been quite frank about what the Belgian owed to a club that had placed so much faith in him. Indeed I do not imagine Benteke is heartless enough not to care about these sorts of considerations. However, I think this re-evaluation in the main was in regard to the Belgian’s transfer options.

None of the big clubs that had shown so much interest appeared to be willing to make concrete offers. At least not offers which matched anything near Villa’s valuation. If this valuation had been met I am sure Christian Benteke would have willingly been off to ply his trade elsewhere. Arguably the influence of agents on players causes these sorts of scenarios to happen, and the people he trusts have placed a man of Benteke’s age in a difficult situation.

Yet when you look on the face of it, the saga appears to have been a shrewd bit of business by the Belgian’s people. They were able to test the waters to see what options lay elsewhere, and when that failed they were able to get an improved deal for their client. In financial terms this was an incredibly well thought out move by both the player and his representatives.

So how does his decision to go back on a transfer request affect him in footballing terms? I doubt the Villa faithful will find it difficult to embrace their star man once again. Few are naïve enough to ignore the fact a player of his class has aspirations to play at a higher-level one day. Many will no doubt just be thankful that they have another season with the star man able to frequently grace Villa Park. For Aston Villa the deal allows them to build on what they achieved last year, rather than take a step back if they were to lose their star man.

In terms of the player himself the deal could prove to be beneficial. At 22 a footballer is lucky to nail down a starting role at a top division club. Playing time is key to Benteke’s development and at Villa he is guaranteed this regularly. Rather than be a lesser part of the tactical jigsaw, he is the key man for Villa. I am not suggesting he would not start for a club like Spurs, but that he may not be the central figure of the side.

An undoubted success last term with 23 goals in all competitions, the Belgian clearly has a lot to offer. However, one good season in the Premier League is insufficient to judge how a players career may pan out. Staying at Villa and building on what he has achieved will allow him to become a much more valuable asset in years to come. Building a reputation at a club where he is cherished could lead him to become a more prized asset later down the line. This is to the benefit of both the player and Villa. Benteke if he progresses will be able to join almost any club that he wants and the club will be able to make a huge profit on their initial £7m investment.

I don’t believe loyalty is a key feature of the way the Benteke saga has panned out. Instead the events of the preceding month stand out as making perfect footballing sense from the perspective of both camps. The way the issue has been resolved I believe will be to the long term benefit of player and club alike.

Is Christian Benteke a Villa loyalist?

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