Christian Benteke is one of the first to be linked with a move when a transfer window is approaching and his climax to the 2014/15 season gives good reason for clubs to be interested. 13 Premier League goals for Benteke last season saw him play the key role in Villa’s survival – again – and looked as though Tim Sherwood had managed to get the best out of the Belgian centre forward.

The leading light of the Aston Villa team, Benteke took the league by storm in his first season and has seen countless links to clubs in the top echelon of European football since. Aston Villa adopted a more direct approach once Sherwood arrived and focused on the pace in the squad to blow some teams away, with N’Zogbia and Agbonlahor providing the running.

The setup at Villa currently is catered towards Benteke’s strengths (power, heading and holding the ball up) whereas a move away from Villa Park will see him thrown into a less suitable system.

Benteke has the world at his feet and looks more cultured player than his rival for the national side, Romelu Lukaku, but his time for the step up is a season or two away yet.

The transition from superstar in a bottom half team to being a back-up man in a Europe competing squad is so markedly different you need to be playing at close to your peak. Benteke’s best chance of reaching the heights as one of the best forwards in Europe will come if he bides his time at a lower level before trying to dominate at one of the more threatening clubs in the top half.

The one area holding back his development at Villa could be the lack of quality around him and often needing to carry the team almost single handedly. Fortunately, the added quality of Carles Gil should help provide greater opportunities for the towering Belgian, whilst Fabian Delph’s new contract gives faith that Villa are heading in the right direction.

A hero to the usually loyal Villa faithful, Benteke can save himself the pressure of a move for at least one more season and continue to work on his game against the best defenders in the league. There will come a time when the move is right for Benteke, but that is at least 12 months away yet.

Many of the top sides are likely to reject a move for Benteke while Villa hold out for his £30 million plus release clause and his lack of mobility may put off others. The chance to work on his game and develop greater intricacies to his forward play could allow him to be near enough the perfect target man striker once he makes his big move.

Christian Benteke has all the qualities to replicate the brilliance of a peak Didier Drogba, but moving too soon could jeopardise his potential.