Despite the necessary rumors, there will not (yet) be a Belgian return for Christian Benteke. The former Red Devil has been linked several times with top Belgian clubs in recent months, but ultimately opted for Al Wahda from the United Arab Emirates.
After the expiry of his contract with DC United, Benteke was a free player and a return to Belgium seemed a real option. Club Brugge, KRC Genk and RSC Anderlecht, among others, were linked to the striker. However, it does not come to that. At the age of 35, Benteke has decided to continue his career in the United Arab Emirates.
The experienced striker, who has 45 caps for Belgium, must help Al Wahda in the title battle together with his new teammate Dušan Tadić. With 21 points from nine games, the club is currently in second place in the standings.
‘Benteke says that he is happy to be part of Al Wahda from now on. In addition, the Belgian striker emphasizes his determination to give everything and contribute to achieving not only the club’s ambitions, but also the wishes of the supporters,” the statement said via official channels.
Benteke is a youth product of KRC Genk and Standard Liège. He made his debut in the first team at both clubs, before moving abroad. He eventually ended up in the United States via Aston Villa, Liverpool, which paid 46 million euros for him at the time, and Crystal Palace. The physically strong striker was born in Kinshasa (Congo), but played 45 times for the Red Devils, scoring eighteen times.
