Has Christian Benteke made a mistake by staying at Aston Villa?

Benteke has signed a new deal which will see him stay at Aston Villa till 2017

A couple of weeks ago, Belgium and Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke drew the attention of Europe’s elite when he handed in a transfer request to his West Midlands employer. On Friday, however, after talks with manager Paul Lambert, Benteke has decided to withdraw his transfer request and has extended his contract with Villa until 2017.

It is a decision that will thrill Villa fans the world over, or at least in the greater Birmingham area, beyond which no Aston Villa fans actually exist. In only a single season Benteke, who came over to the Premier League from Belgian outfit Genk, has enforced himself on English football. Using a rare combination of power and skill, he is fast becoming a star, and has all but destroyed the notion that Romelu Lukaku is the only player fit for the Belgian #9 shirt.

Benteke scored 19 EPL goals for the Villans last season, more than any other Villa player in history and good for 4th best in the entire EPL in 2012/13. Only Robin Van Persie, Gareth Bale and Luis Suarez, all truly world class talents, managed to score more goals than the towering Belgian.

On top of that, his 23 goals in 39 games in all competitions is the best return for a Villa player since Juan Pablo Angel graced the Villa Park turf in 2003/04. Clearly, Benteke is not your average player and his exceptional talent has not gone without due recognition. He was nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year after his excellent début season, finishing as runner-up only to the eventual double award winner Gareth Bale.

In the wake of such a special season, it seemed as if Benteke was destined for a move to a bigger club. At 22 years of age and as one of the most prolific scorers in world football, he was bound to be one of the most sought after prospects in this summer’s transfer window.

The vultures starting circling in the January transfer window, as Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas expressed his interest in the young striker. Benteke then added to the drama himself in May, hinting to English tabloid paper The Sun that he would like to move to the club he supported as a boy, Arsenal. Benteke told the newspaper that “I do not in any way want to feel I didn’t get the most out of my career. I try to get everything…If the chance comes up for me to join a club like Arsenal, I’m convinced we can reach a compromise where everyone comes out a winner.”

Finally, Benteke’s transfer request in July, which came as little surprise following his earlier comments to the press, only helped fuel the speculation that the Belgian would be on his way. The only question seemed to be whether that would be to White Hart Lane, the Emirates or elsewhere.

However, now that Benteke has done a 180 degree turn and decided to withdraw his request, all that speculation will now fall flat. He won’t be going anywhere, at least not for a while. But as one question closes on us, another opens. We will no longer be asking where Benteke will be playing his football in 2013, but we will be asking another very interesting question; was staying at Villa Park the right decision by the young Belgian?