It’s not nice to talk behind people’s backs.
But try telling that to the extended family of Daniel Sturridge, who have been talking about some of the Liverpool striker’s team-mates and their future plans over the weekend.
The England man has missed a huge chunk of the season, but has shown glimpses of his devastating form since his return in the spring.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Christian Benteke, who started Sunday’s dead rubber against West Brom, and once again failed to live up to his £32.5million price tag from last summer.
The Belgian has performed so poorly that even Sturridge’s uncle, Derby County legend Dean, feels the Belgian is unlikely to be at Anfield past the summer.
Speaking to NBC, the ex-striker feels the former Aston Villa man knows his time under Jurgen Klopp is up.
“I can’t see Benteke staying at Liverpool,
“He will get his move next season. He doesn’t seem to fit into what the manager wants from his strikers.”
That’s a polite way of saying the striker has been more than disappointing, although to be fair, his stats suggest it has not all been bad.
GRAPHIC: Christian Benteke https://t.co/iUcbNU57Ej pic.twitter.com/EPJ72g9F5u
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) May 15, 2016
The comments come as the striker admitted this weekend his first season at Liverpool has been disappointing, but he is determined to work harder, if he is given the chance next term.
“When I signed I didn’t sign for one year – I want to stay here next year.
“I think I have the quality and the manager knows my strengths and weaknesses.
“I know I’ve had a tough season but I’m going to fight until the end. Everything can change so I keep focused and keep going for the team and myself.”
