Christian Benteke will consider his Crystal Palace future in the summer – regardless of whether the club win their fight against relegation from the Premier League.

Palace’s victory over Middlesbrough at the weekend revived hope that the club can beat the drop, but raised question marks over Benteke, who was involved in a bizarre row with team-mate Andros Townsend.

Benteke argued with Townsend at the end of the game after the winger did not pass to him, with Middlesbrough goalkeeper Victor Valdes intervening to make sure the argument did not escalate.

Palace manager Sam Allardyce played down the incident, but Benteke has become frustrated since joining in a club-record deal worth £32 million from Liverpool last summer.

Since the appointment of Allardyce, Benteke has scored just one Premier League goal and friends of the Belgian complain he has become isolated by Palace’s long-ball tactics.