Christian Benteke will discuss his future with Crystal Palace at the end of the season – and insists he wants to stay.
The Belgian striker, Palace’s £27million club-record signing, has endured a frustrating campaign in which only his third goal came in Saturday’s 5-0 victory over Leicester.
Palace spent £9million recruiting the promising Alexander Sorloth in January, but the 27-year-old Benteke remains committed to the club where he has a contract for a further two years.
He scored from the spot after regular penalty-taker Luka Milivojevic, following boss Roy Hodgson’s suggestion, stepped aside while they led 4-0 to give him the chance to end his goal drought.
Benteke said: “I’m under contract until 2020, so I want to stay here. I’m going to speak to the chairman (Steve Parish) and the club about what they want to do with me.
“At the end of every season you have to speak, to see the plan for the next season. To speak, to see what they want to do with me.
“They saw the best of me last season, and I wanted to do even better this season, but it didn’t work like that and I will go again next season.
“It’s been frustrating (to be on the bench) because it’s the first time that’s happened to me.
“The (squad is) all behind me because they know that it’s not the best time for me, and it’s the first time I’ve been through this hard time without scoring. They wanted to give me a big boost.”
Wilfried Zaha again impressed, scoring the opening goal before being brought down in the challenge that led to Marc Albrighton’s straight red card.
Hodgson said of any potential interest in his forward: “That’ll be a club issue. He’s not going to stay because of my blue eyes; he’ll stay because he likes playing at Selhurst Park, likes the club, and thinks it’s the right place for him.
“If someone like Wilf’s head is ever turned, it won’t just be because there’s more money involved, it’ll be for other reasons, and that’s something Steve Parish and I will have to contend with. But at the moment it’s pure speculation.”