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Liverpool are poised to activate Christian Benteke’s release clause to finally get the Aston Villa striker.

Benteke was still at Villa’s Portugal training camp on Thursday night, but the Reds HAVE now finally decided to meet the Belgian international’s £32.5million buy-out clause.

The 24-year-old is unlikely to play in Villa’s friendly against Sporting Braga in Albufeira on Friday, ahead of becoming the second most expensive signing in Liverpool’s history.

Reds boss Brendan Rodgers has been chasing Benteke all summer, but the Villans stood firm over his valuation.

And following the £49m sale of Raheem Sterling to Manchester City earlier in the week, Liverpool have decided to cough up for the 6ft 3in frontman.

Christian Benteke's career in pictures:

The outlay will take Liverpool’s summer spending to around the £80m mark, following deals for Nathaniel Clyne, Joe Gomez, Adam Bogdan and Roberto Firmino.

They have also signed free-agents James Milner and Danny Ings, though they will have to pay Burnley a compensation fee for the latter.

Villa will have to pass on around £4m of the fee to Benteke’s former club, Genk.

Benteke scored 49 goals in 101 appearances for Villa over the past three seasons after Paul Lambert bought him.

He hit form towards the end of last season under new boss Tim Sherwood, scoring a dozen goals in his last 12 matches.

(Image: Neville Williams)

The FA Cup final defeat to Arsenal at Wembley will now be his final game for Villa and Benteke’s imminent arrival has the approval of Kop legend Robbie Fowler.

The ex-Anfield striker said: “I think Benteke could be the main man for Liverpool. He’s probably the perfect player for us.”

Among his possible replacements are Tottenham misfit Emmanuel Adebayor, who displayed some of his best form for Spurs when Sherwood was their manager, and Swiss wonderkid Breel Embolo.

Cameroon-born Embolo, just 18, is rated by Basel at £10million.

Villa are also looking at Spurs' England winger Andros Townsend.