Aston Villa signing Christian Benteke is in hot water back in Belgium.

The Sunday Mercury says Villa's £7 million summer signing Benteke is facing car-jacking charges in his native Belgium.

The Belgian international striker and two friends are accused of being involved in the brutal beating of a motorist before making off in the victim's Volkswagen Polo car.

The 21-year-old Congolese-born player was arrested at the scene in the city of Liege, Belgium, and held overnight before being brought to court in handcuffs to face charges of robbery and assault.

All three men were later released and in a statement from his former club in Genk Benteke denied the charges claiming he had only been interviewed by police as a witness to the attack last November.