Villa striker Benteke seals £21m move to Wolfsburg
German side Wolfsburg have announced the signing of Aston Villa's wantaway striker Christian Benteke in a deal worth £21m.
Benteke, who netted nineteen goals for Tim Sherwood's side last season had reportedly told his boss that he would be leaving at the end of the season for a better contract, and Wolfsburg have offered the big Belgian £72,000 per week for his services.
Aston Villa will be able to use the money to strengthen their current playing squad, which finished in 11th place in the Barclays Premier League last season.
Benteke has thanked the fans for their support during his time in England and wishes The Villains luck in future seasons.
But now the 24-year-old will turn his attention to his new team and UEFA Champions League football for the first time in his career and the Belgium international can't wait to get started.
"I'm excited for the future of this club," he told their official website. "I can link up with Kevin De Bruyne at club level now as well as international level. He's one of the best in the world and it's a privilege to play alongside him.
The squad here on the whole is fantastic. We've got Champions League football next season and I'm going to be giving my all to help the team progress as far as possible in that competition.
I was a little disappointed at the way my Aston Villa career ended because I loved playing for the club. I don't want to be called a mercenary like I was by the papers. The fans were great and I had a lot of good memories there."
It is likely that Danish striker Nicklas Bendtner will be sold with the impending arrival of Benteke, with the former Arsenal striker not fitting into Dieter Hecking's plans.
Benteke turned down Atletico Madrid to sign for the Bundesliga side.