Stay up and I'll sign! Benteke to begin talks on new deal, but only if Villa avoid the drop



RELEGATION BATTLE - AS IT STANDS

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Christian Benteke will start talks this week on a new double-your-money contract that will keep him at Aston Villa – providing they stay in the Barclays Premier League.

The 22-year-old Belgian international is a target for Tottenham, Liverpool and Arsenal after scoring 19 goals in all competitions in his first season in English football.

But Benteke has told manager Paul Lambert he wants to stay at Villa Park where he believes regular football will help him stay in his country’s squad for the 2014 World Cup.

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Sign him up: Christian Benteke scored his ninth goal in his last 10 league games at Stoke on Saturday

Villa are offering to raise his current £20,000-a-week pay packet to £40,000 and add another year to the contract he signed when he moved from Genk for £7million last August, currently due to end in 2016.

And it is likely Benteke, who has become a massive hero with the Villa fans, will sign the agreement as soon as the club’s future in the top flight has been secured.

Lambert is also talking to Austrian striker Andi Weimann, who has come through the youth ranks since signing from Rapid Vienna at 16, about new terms.

But it is the movement on Benteke which will be the biggest boost for Lambert and a club who have developed a succession of top players such as Gareth Barry, James Milner, Ashley Young and Stewart Downing only to see them move on.

His last-minute goal at Stoke on Saturday was his ninth in his last 10 league games for the club in a run which has hauled them out of the relegation zone.

Lambert revealed last week that he had support from owner Randy Lerner to tie down his young stars.

He said: ‘There is no point trying to build something if you get lads in and after one year of them doing well they go away again. I don’t think that is building for any sort of future.’

Through the ranks: Andreas Weimann (left) is also in line for a new deal at Vila