No bid yet for Christian Benteke

Christian Benteke might not be an Aston Villa player come the transfer deadline, but no one has met their initial deadline for a bid. The Belgian wonder is expected to report to training in Birmingham tomorrow, with Tottenham Hotspur not having made a bid yet.

Surprise. Christian #Benteke travelled to Birmingham today. He'll join the squad tomorrow. No bid of #THFC has arrived. #AVFC

— Kristof Terreur (@HLNinEngeland) July 17, 2013

While this isn't a great sign for a deal, it's certainly not a death blow. Benteke (and probably his agent too) is smart enough to know that he's not in a great position to force a move. He's under contract for three more years, so Aston Villa don't have any reason to move him quickly or accept less than their asking price.

While nothing's been verified, the story we've gotten about this transfer saga reads like a typical Spurs negotiation. A team wants a lot of money for a player, Spurs are only willing to offer something significantly less than that asking price and neither team looks willing to budge.

Don't expect this transfer saga to end anytime soon.