Crystal Palace 'table £31.5m bid for Christian Benteke'

Crystal Palace have allegedly tabled a £31.5m bid for Liverpool striker Christian Benteke after having a £25m offer rejected last week.

Eagles boss Alan Pardew is willing to break the club's transfer record to land the Belgian and the Reds are expected to accept the offer, reports The Mirror.

Benteke joined Liverpool from Aston Villa in a deal worth £32.5m during the Brendan Rodgers era, but became a fringe player under current Reds boss Jurgen Klopp.

Palace are said to have upped their efforts to sign the striker after missing out on Michy Batshuayi to Chelsea.

The Eagles have already recruited England winger Andros Townsend from Newcastle United for £13m and snapped up France number two goalkeeper Steve Mandanda from Marseille, as well as agreeing terms with West Ham United for England Under-21 defender James Tomkins, this summer.