Sherwood says Benteke should aim higher than Liverpool

Christian Benteke goes into the FA Cup final on Saturday with Aston Villa's manager, Tim Sherwood, telling him he should set his sights higher than Liverpool but admitting the player could be sold this summer because of a £32.5m buyout clause in his contract that the club have previously never disclosed.

Benteke will automatically be allowed to leave if anyone bids enough to trigger the clause and Sherwood is acutely aware the match against Arsenal at Wembley, when Villa will be trying to win the FA Cup for the first time since 1957, could be the striker’s last appearance for the club.

Liverpool have identified Benteke as one of the players who could help to re-establish them as a top-four club next season and Sherwood said he was powerless to do anything about a deal that was agreed before he became manager. “There’s a buyout clause in his contract so it will be impossible for us to stop him if he wants to go,” Sherwood said. “Someone’s got to meet that buyout clause and if they don’t it won’t be considered because we don’t want to lose him.”

Sherwood acknowledged that Liverpool were “still a huge football club” but he also broke off from preparing for the biggest occasion of his short managerial career to argue that Benteke could do better if he stayed at Villa Park for another season.

“We’re building up to a European Championship, which is a huge stage for Christian, and a tournament where you feel that Belgium will be one of the favourites to win it. By playing for Aston Villa it hasn’t hindered him being the first choice for Belgium up to now. If he were to stay here and score at the ratio that he has since I took over, and ends up with 20 or 30 goals next season and then has a good Euros, he is probably playing for Real Madrid [IN 2016]. Christian could go to the best club in the world if he scores 30 goals next season. He could be that good.”

The clause was inserted when Benteke signed his new contract two years ago and the club agreed with his advisers that £32.5m was a fair price. Sherwood claimed he did not know how much it was and did not agree when it was put to him that by inserting such a stipulation the club were leaving themselves vulnerable. “Everyone has it,” he said. “Most players would have one when they sign new contracts. Am I surprised? No – £100m.”

That last part was a joke but Benteke has scored 12 goals in as many games and will be widely considered as the most serious threat to Arsenal’s hopes of winning a record 12th FA Cup.

Sherwood has also noted that Liverpool’s number of crosses this season – 409 – is the lowest in the top division. “We cross more balls into the box than any other club in the league and Christian has said that he feeds off crosses,” Sherwood said.

“There’s no point going to a club where they don’t cross the ball. All he’s got to do is look at history and see what has happened to players who have left other clubs. They’re going to pastures new, bigger and better clubs, and they don’t actually play, so then they end up looking for a new home again. Christian has made no indication that he wants to leave and I don’t think he should be moving clubs before a European Championship.”

The problem for Sherwood is that he was talking as manager of the club that finished fourth from bottom of the Premier League and, for all Liverpool’s difficulties, it is clear they would be an upgrade on his current employers. As for whether Liverpool did trigger the clause, Sherwood did not sound entirely hopeful when he said it would still be within Benteke’s powers to turn it down. “It’s up to the individual to make that decision. I can’t make it for him but I want him to stay here.”

Sherwood has been encouraged by Shay Given, Kieran Richardson and Jores Okore all returning to training. His squad leave for their Hertfordshire base on Friday and have brought forward their journey to Wembley after hearing about Middlesbrough's difficulty getting through the traffic to the Championship play-off final.

It is after the final that Sherwood expects to have a better idea about whether Liverpool or any of Benteke’s other admirers will try to exploit his release agreement. Losing Benteke would reinforce Villa’s reputation as a club that could not historically hold on to their better players. However, Sherwood pointed out they were not alone. “Arsenal sell their players as well; for not big money as well.”