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Cape Town - Christian Benteke has said that he will leave Anfield to ply his trade elsewhere should he not be included in Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp’s plans for the upcoming season.
Benteke joined Liverpool from Aston Villa for £32.5m last summer, but he is already considering opting out of his five-year deal.
The 25-year-old struggled to make his presence felt in his first season with the Reds as he scored 10 goals and notched up six assists in the 42 appearances he made in all competitions.
"At 25 years old, I'm neither old nor young but it's important to play," Benteke told reporters. "I still have a contract at Liverpool and I'd like to stay there, if I remain in the coach's plans.
"If that's not the case, it will become difficult to stay. I'll think about if after the Euros."
According to reports, Klopp is even looking to recoup some of the money Liverpool spent on acquiring the services of the Belgium international.
"I was prepared for what I went through [last season at Liverpool]," Benteke said. "I knew that if I had mixed performances I would be criticised. That's what happened.
"When he [Klopp] arrived, I saw that I wasn't in his plans. That was frustrating because I knew that during my first season at Aston Villa he wanted me.
"But we had several discussions together - I respect and I understand his decisions."
