Christian Benteke has been a revelation in his debut season at Villa since joining from Belgian outfit Racing Genk last year. He has repaid each and every penny of the £7 million Villa paid for his services as he has scored 17 times already this season for them. Despite the fact that Villa are fighting tooth and nail to avoid relegation, Benteke has stood out for his individual performances in front of goal.

He has earned praise for many for his performances, and the Belgium international is thought to be attracting interest from a host of clubs. It is being said that Arsenal are the ones keenest on his signature. Keeping Benteke at the club would be very difficult if Villa do get relegated at the end of the season, which is exactly why their fight for survival now has added significance. If they do avoid the drop, then they will want to tie him down to a new deal at the earliest opportunity.

Arsenal are certain to buy a striker in the summer, and reportedly have already weighed up moves for David Villa, Edinson Cavani and most recently Stevan Jovetic. They are also thought to be considering Benteke, as he has impressed Arsene Wenger this season. It is believed that Wenger is keeping all his options open in the summer, and might just decide to pursue Benteke, who has Premier League experience, rather than someone from another league who would probably take time to adjust to the rigors of the English game in his first season. Therefore Wenger’s interest in signing Benteke seems to be justified.

Villa are under a mountain of pressure to retain their star striker for next season. Will manager Paul Lambert be able to convince him to extend his stay at Villa? Or will the lure of playing at the majestic Emirates Stadium for Arsenal be too good to turn down for Benteke? All the answers are waiting for us on the other side of the summer transfer window!