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Report: Chelsea targeting Christian Benteke in January

Liverpool striker Christian Benteke is reportedly a January target for Chelsea.

Chelsea are reportedly weighing up a move for Liverpool striker Christian Benteke when the transfer window reopens next month.

According to the Sunday People, the Belgian was on a "hitlist" of targets assembled by Jose Mourinho before he was sacked by Blues owner Roman Abramovich last week.

The 25-year-old, who was signed by former Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers from Aston Villa for £32.5m last summer, has reportedly struggled to adapt to the methods of Rodgers's replacement Jurgen Klopp.

Speaking this week, Klopp admitted that Benteke is suffering from confidence issues.

"There's a difference between the way we play and Aston Villa play," he told reporters. "If as a striker you don't feel confident in the game because you aren't getting enough crosses then you have to move more.

"As a striker you want to play five, six games in a row. At Villa when he was fit he played - but here everything is different."

Benteke, who has scored four times in 13 league appearances this season, is one of only a handful of attacking options available to Klopp following injuries to Daniel Sturridge and Danny Ings.

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Neil Wilkes
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Jurgen Klopp manager of Liverpool gestures during the Barclays Premier League match between Newcastle United and Liverpool at St James' Park on December 6, 2015
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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool18143145172845
2Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest1911442619737
3Arsenal18106235161936
4Chelsea18105338211735
5Manchester CityMan City199463226631
6Bournemouth198652923630
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle188553021929
8Fulham197842825329
9Aston Villa188462629-328
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton186842726126
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1973941281324
12Brentford187383232024
13West Ham UnitedWest Ham196582335-1223
14Manchester UnitedMan Utd186482124-322
15Crystal Palace194872027-720
16Everton183871524-917
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1944113142-1116
18Leicester CityLeicester1935112242-2014
19Ipswich TownIpswich1826101633-1712
20Southampton1913151239-276


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