It's Chelsea v Spurs in race for Benteke: Mourinho ready to pounce for £25m hitman... but Villa ace wants Tottenham deal

Aston Villa have told Christian Benteke’s suitors that they will not be bullied into losing the Belgium striker after making him available for £25million.



Tottenham are favourites to secure the services of Benteke, 22, following his transfer request but Villa are determined to stick to their guns over the price and are not interested in any part-exchange deal.



The suggestion is that Spurs chairman Daniel Levy will try to force through a move as the transfer window is about to close but Villa do not need to sell in order to raise cash.

Moving: Christian Benteke's future is now undecided but it seems he will end up in London

On his way: Benteke says he wants to leave Aston Villa

There is also a lingering feeling at Villa that they did not get good value when Jermaine Jenas arrived from Spurs on a season’s loan and they are not inclined to do the north Londoners any favours. However, Chelsea are also in the frame and would be Villa’s choice — though not Benteke’s — if their demands were met as there would be the possibility of a player-plus-cash deal with Romelu Lukaku an obvious make-weight in any transfer.

But Benteke favours a switch to White Hart Lane, mainly because he would be given top billing in a season that leads up to the 2014 World Cup finals and the presence of his compatriots Jan Vertonghen and Mousa Dembele. He doubts he would be first choice under Jose Mourinho at Chelsea and worries about the knock-on effect, particularly with Belgium enjoying a rich choice of forwards from which to choose next summer. Negotiations: Romelu Lukaku (left) could move to Villa if Benteke goes to Chelsea but Benteke fancies a move to Tottenham - however there is ill feeling between the clubs dating back to Jermaine Jenas's loan spell in the West Midlands in 2011

Disappointed: Paul Lambert says he wanted Benteke to stay at the club

But Randy Lerner, Villa’s American billionaire owner, has instructed chief executive Paul Faulkner to sell Benteke only once the valuation is met.

Lerner has taken a hard line over his club’s prize asset. Benteke was immediately pulled out of Villa’s pre-season tour to Germany after his transfer request and has been given an extra week’s leave.



Villa issued a club statement, acknowledging the forward’s demand, saying he would be free to leave if a suitable fee was received.

Lerner is keen to pursue that line following an earlier situation with Gareth Barry five years ago when Liverpool made a move for the England midfielder.



Top scorer: Christian Benteke scored 19 goals in his first season at Villa

Villa quoted Rafael Benitez a fee of £18m but Liverpool failed to come up with the money and Barry stayed for another season before moving to Manchester City. Villa manager Paul Lambert is unwilling to lose Benteke, who scored 19 goals last season, and has told him as much, being careful not to burn any bridges with a player he has nurtured carefully since signing him from Genk last year for £8m. Faulkner talked to Benteke earlier this summer about doubling his £1m-a-year salary on the condition that he extended his current contract. That offer has been left on the table. On the move? A host of Premier League clubs are interested in Benteke

Ominously for Villa, Benteke once refused to move when Standard Liege offered him out on loan. Then, at Genk, he effectively went on strike to secure a move to Villa Park.

The Benteke situation does not have any impact on the proposed sale of Darren Bent to Newcastle United. The former England striker has been sidelined by Lambert since falling out of favour last autumn.