Palace gaffer Allardyce: Benteke 'not for sale'

Sam Allardyce says there are no contingency plans in place if Christian Benteke leaves this January.

As far as the Crystal Palace manager is concerned, the Belgian striker is "not for sale" amid reports that he could be seeking the riches of the Chinese Super League, or just be shifting elsewhere.

Benteke only joined the Eagles last August for £27 million from Liverpool, but with his new employer unexpectedly dragged into a relegation battle, there were suggestions that the artilleryman could be seeking new pastures.

"Never say never but at the moment he is a Crystal Palace player," Allardyce told BBC Sport.

"I am planning on him being here at the end of the (January transfer) window."

Somewhat surprisingly, given Allardyce's history of favouring long-ball tactics and physical frontmen, Benteke has cut a lonely figure up top for Palace in his new manager's first three games. In the outfit's last match, a hurtful 2-1 home defeat to fellow struggler Swansea City, he was hauled off at halftime with a shoulder injury for Fraizer Campbell.

"We have to play better off Christian," said Allardyce, who took the hot seat from Alan Pardew.

"He is a very important player who we have to keep in the game as much as possible, feeding balls into his feet and chest and for him to hold it up and we spring off him.

"Everyone has to play better at the moment. Everyone has to up their game, not just Christian."

Allardyce revealed that the Palace boardroom had submitted bids for "three or four players" and expected to find out if those approaches were successful later on Thursday.

Seventeenth-placed Palace travels to West Ham United on Saturday.