Liverpool reject fresh bid from Crystal Palace for out-of-favour striker Christian Benteke

Liverpool have rejected a new bid from Crystal Palace for out-of-favour striker Christian Benteke. The Eagles are said to have offered £23m ($29.8m) up front plus £7m in add-ons for the 25-year-old Belgian, who has been deemed surplus to requirements at Anfield.

The Reds have previously rejected a bid worth £25m, according to the BBC, and are thought to be trying to recoup the £32.5m they paid for him in July 2015. Benteke does not feature in the long-term plans of Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, but the Anfield outfit are unwilling to sell him on the cheap.

Benteke only started eight games under Klopp last season, and with the German having brought in the likes of Saido Mane over the summer, chances are set to be even harder to come by in the new campaign. Despite this, Klopp recently insisted he will not offload Benteke and fellow striker Mario Balotelli for below their market value.

"Christian Benteke, Mario Balotelli, all the other strikers, they are really good; they don't miss anything in their chances," the Liverpool manager said, according to Sky Sports.

"Having six strikers is a little bit too comfortable but it's still possible. If anybody thinks that because we have more than one striker, we make presents to other clubs, that's the biggest misunderstanding in world football. We will 100% not do this.

"We have to bring them all in the best shape. Until the 31 August, I can change my mind if I want, each second. We will wait."

In contrast to Benteke and Balotelli, Klopp recently admitted he was looking forward to working with the fit-again Danny Ings, who missed much of his debut season at Liverpool with a knee injury. The forward was absent for seven months of the campaign before playing in Liverpool's final Premier League game against West Brom.

"It's not the same situation as the other two [Balotelli and Benteke]," Klopp said, according to the Liverpool Echo. "We're counting on Ingsy. Ingsy is a fantastic boy. He was injured since October last year and he needed time. That's how it is.

"Now he's getting better and better. He knows himself that in the first two or three weeks of pre-season even though he scored in the games it was too intense for him."