According to Voetbal24, Club Brugge are interested in Crystal Palace striker Christian Benteke.

What's the word?

Benteke has become a first-team regular starter under Roy Hodgson in recent years, having scored 25 goals and supplied 10 assists in 122 games in all competitions, via Transfermarkt.

But the Belgium international endured a difficult start to the season as he had to settle for a place on the bench, with just one start to his name in the Premier League, whilst he was left as an unused substitute on the bench against London derby rivals Chelsea and Fulham.

It's perhaps hardly surprising other clubs have caught wind of his situation, and the Belgian publication Voetbal24 claims Brugge are interested in signing the centre-forward in the summer.

The 30-year-old's current contract will run out in 2021, so Steve Parish must reach an agreement with his representatives before the winter transfer market opens in just under a month, otherwise the club risk losing him on a free transfer, as interested parties will be able to begin negotiations with him in January to sort out a pre-contract deal.

Keep Benteke at all costs

We said just this last month that Palace should consider cutting their losses once and for all. But maybe we were just a little bit too hasty.

Whilst Wilfried Zaha continues to be linked with a move away from Selhurst Park, the potential loss of Benteke would also be a big blow.

After all, the "colossal" Belgian is one of four strikers in the Palace squad.

Jordan Ayew and Michy Batshuayi are the only others available for selection after Alexander Sorloth left south London in the summer and Connor Wickham remains sidelined due to injury.

It wasn't all that long ago that he bagged 15 times and 2 assists in the 2016/17  Premier League season, whilst he has scored two goals in seven games so far this season, averaging 1.4 shots per game, via WhoScored. By comparison, on-loan Chelsea striker Batshuayi has been unable to find the back of the net since his arrival from Stamford Bridge.

Hodgson is clearly a big fan of Benteke too, as he suggested his hard work has started to pay off after he netted twice against West Bromwich Albion.

“He has been patient and never stopped working," the Eagles boss said. "He showed the type of player he was when Palace bought him from Liverpool and has now got to keep that going.”

It's exactly why Parish simply cannot afford to lose the £8m-rated tank as his hard-working attitude and contributions cannot go unnoticed.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace target Jordan Amavi is the perfect Patrick van Aanholt replacement...