Christian Benteke has cast doubt on his future at Aston Villa by indicating that he would like to leave if a leading club such as Arsenal try to buy him.

Villa want the striker to sign a new, improved contract but Benteke has given a press conference on international duty with Belgium before their friendly against the USA in which he is quoted as saying that he may demand a transfer: "If Aston Villa say I must stay, I won't necessarily accept that. I do not in any way want to feel I didn't get the most out of my career."

Benteke is further quoted as saying: "Of course playing the World Cup in Rio is in my head. But I have no fear of falling out of the team. There is no point in me getting into a tug-of-war with Villa.

"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."

Benteke's agent Kismet Eris told the Sun: "This always happens when he goes away with the national team. I'd prefer he didn't speak to journalists but the Belgian team insist he does a press conference.

"If he was unhappy at Villa we'd have seen that. But he's not."