Although Mark Noble’s recent testimonial match at the soon-to-be deserted Boleyn Ground would have certainly provided a nice dose of light relief for all West Ham fans far and wide, the determined Upton Park faithful still have a lot to contend with throughout the remainder of the season of course, with the possibility of ending the current 2015/16 campaign on a triumphant high almost within touching distance.

The Hammers remain well placed among the upper echelons of the Premier League table itself, while an enticing FA Cup quarter-final replay on the cards with Manchester United in the not too distant future. The upcoming summer transfer window looks set to be a rather significant one with the East End outfit ready and raring to move into London’s Olympic Stadium ahead of the new term.

So then, as Liverpool’s recently acquired Christian Benteke has been mooted as a prime transfer target for the Irons this summer, would the £32.5m man really serve to improve Slaven Bilic’s current squad right in the here and now, or should West Ham look beyond the out-of-sorts Belgian front-man?

Well, as Liverpool seemingly wouldn’t be too keen on letting their 25-year-old striker leave the realms of Anfield for anything close to a cut-price deal this summer – with the man himself also supposedly on £120,000 a-week at this particular stage in his career – perhaps West Ham would ideally want to avoid such a move based purely on financial reasoning alone.

The likes of Michy Batshuayi and Alexandre Lacazette have been highlighted as potential summer targets for the Hammers to consider alongside Christian Benteke in recent weeks after all, and whilst both Ligue 1 stars would likely carry rather hefty transfer fees above their heads, each of the aforementioned strikers would probably represent better value for money than the current Liverpool man.

Although Christian Benteke has admittedly scored goals in the English top-flight before for a struggling Aston Villa side, the 2015/16 campaign has ultimately proven one of great frustration for the former Villa Park favourite, with his long-term future on Merseyside looking anything but guaranteed if we’re all being completely honest with his current situation.

For one reason or another, the 25-year-old Belgium international has often presented himself as surprisingly slow and distinctly off the pace for large portions of the Premier League campaign, with his once deadly efficiency in front of goal having all but disappeared since he officially joined up with the Reds. West Ham should therefore point their all-important resources elsewhere this summer when all is said and done. Benteke certainly could make somewhat of a success of himself within the Hammers’ new journey at the Olympic Stadium, but Bilic’s side will still likely have to break the bank in order to secure his signature, this is one player who seemingly isn’t worth the risk.

With several other top-class alternatives supposedly on the table for West Ham’s consideration over the coming summer months, the 25-year-old Liverpool forward arguably wouldn’t offer enough based on his most recent form.

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