Aston Villa could sign their new Christian Benteke in Sheffield United starlet Daniel Jebbison.
What’s the story?
Reports in recent days have suggested that Dean Smith’s side are one of several Premier League teams interested in signing the 18-year-old from the Blades this summer, with Everton already having a bid rejected for him.
Villa’s new Benteke
In the 101 games that he ended up playing for Villa, Benteke more than showed that he was worth every penny that the club spent on him. He scored a very impressive 49 times and even provided another twelve assists too, and was involved in some spectacular individual and team goals – the back-heel to set up Andreas Weimann’s strike in a 3-1 win against Liverpool at Anfield still lives long in the memory.
Former Villa boss, Paul Lambert, said at the time of his signing: “Christian is only 21 but already he’s an established Belgian international and he’s had a terrific time at Genk. He’s something very different to what we have here and that added dimension will enhance the football club. A young lad he may be, but he’s definitely a handful. He’s tall, powerful, he has pace and we’ll be stronger with him in the side.”
And, just like Benteke, the £900k-rated Jebbison is a real “handful” up front and could give Villa another battering ram-like striker.
The 6 foot 3 ace has certainly got the raw physical frame to pose a problem for opposition defences, and given that he’s still only 18, will surely look to fill out a bit more over the coming years.
The coach who had Jebbison at his academy back in Toronto, Bassam Naim, called him “a force to be reckoned with”, adding: “Athletic, strong. Always creative when he was with us. Lots of energy? He loves to go forward. He loves to take on players.”
As per Whoscored, the teenager averaged one shot per game in the Premier League in the brief amount of time he was on the pitch, while he showcased his ability as a real threat for defenders by also making 1.5 tackles per match and winning 1.3 aerial duels per game too.
That’s exactly the kind of physical presence that Benteke really made a name for at Villa Park, and one Smith will be hoping to bring back to Villa Park.
Meanwhile, Villa are plotting a late swoop for this star…