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Sam Allardyce: Christian Benteke is not for sale - Crystal Palace closing in on two deals
SAM ALLARDYCE has insisted Christian Benteke is not for sale now he has finally got his own transfer business underway.
Crystal Palace boss Sam Allardyce insists Christian Benteke is not for sale
The Crystal Palace manager is on the brink of signing Leicester left-back Jeff Schlupp and Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing.
Palace are at fellow Premier League strugglers West Ham tomorrow and Sam Allardyce knows he needs Benteke to provide the goals to save them.
"He is not for sale. He will be at Palace when the transfer window closes, and here at the end of the season," said Allardyce.
Benteke has scored eight goals for Palace so far this season
"I am trying to bring in reinforcements at the back and that's where my priority lies."
Palace are yet to win or keep a clean sheet under Allardyce, who added: "It's massively important we get three points. The longer we go without a victory, the more fearful the players will be."
Schlupp, who is rated at around £12m, made 26 appearances during Leicester's title charge last season, but was left out of Ghana's African Nations Cup squad because of his lack of action this year.
Allardyce is closing in on the signings of Stewart Downing (pictured) and Jeff Schlupp
Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri said: "I said if he wants to go he can go. He deserves to play, he deserves to show his potential."
Downing played some of the best football of his career under Allardyce at West Ham and would jump at the chance of a reunion.
He has started just three of Boro's last 13 games and Bojan Krkic's imminent arrival from Stoke on an £8m deal would see him fall further down the pecking order.