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Christian Benteke is set to leave Aston Villa for Liverpool after the Reds finally agreed to meet the £32.5million release clause.

The Reds have been tracking the Belgian all summer and after hearing the news that Manchester United were preparing a bid this week, they decided to make the swoop.

Benteke is now set to become the club’s second most expensive signing ever and it will leave Villa with a huge gap to fill ahead of the start of the season.

Boss Tim Sherwood had been desperate to keep hold of his prized asset but is now facing a losing battle after the Reds decided to trigger the buyout clause.

Sources close to Benteke say that he has his heart set on Anfield and once the offer is received, the 24-year-old can negotiate personal terms and undergo a medical.

Liverpool banked £49million from the sale of Raheem Sterling to Manchester City last week and have quickly decided to reinvest.