Crystal Palace head to Middlesbrough tomorrow afternoon absolutely desperate for a victory to kick-start their season, and manager Alan Pardew could be about to turn to Christian Benteke to bail him out – and his little brother.
The Eagles pulled off the £32 million capture of Belgian international Benteke from Liverpool last month, and the fanfare that surrounded his signing probably meant a lot of supporters didn’t even realise that Palace also signed his little brother, Jonathan.
Jonathan was signed as a free agent on the advice of Christian after the 21-year-old scored just two goals in 17 league matches last season for Belgian side Zulte Waregem.
Jonathan was expected to play predominantly for the club’s development side, but with Loic Remy ruled out for two months with a torn thigh, and Frazier Campbell also ruled out, manager Alan Pardew has admitted his attack on Saturday could be spearheaded by both Benteke brothers.
Speaking via the Evening Standard, Pardew said: “This one was because of Christian, he highlighted him to us. We checked him out and liked the look of him.
“It was not a big fee so he comes here under no pressure.
“His brother is a top-line player and Jonathan is not there yet. He would readily admit that. He is very enthusiastic and has settled in very well.”
In the history of the Premier League, no two brothers has started a match up-front together, so keep an eye out for a piece of history!
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