Bent asks to quit Black Cats

Villa make £18million bid for England striker

Last updated: 17th January 2011   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Bent asks to quit Black Cats

Bent: Wants to leave after Villa bid

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Sunderland striker Darren Bent has handed in a transfer request after Aston Villa made an £18million move for the England international.

Bent has been a regular scorer for the Black Cats since joining from Tottenham 18 months ago, but he has now asked to quit the North East.

He has scored 36 goals in 63 appearances during his time on Wearside following his £10million switch from Tottenham.

The 26-year-old has flourished under Steve Bruce's management at the Stadium of Light, but now appears to be bringing the curtain down on his time with Sunderland.

Sunderland have confirmed Bent's request to leave and have a big decision to make over whether to accept Villa's huge offer.

A club statement read: "The club can confirm that it received a written transfer request from Darren Bent following yesterday's Wear-Tyne derby match."

Villa boss Gerard Houllier is trying to assemble a squad capable of staying in the Premier League and goals have been in short supply this season.

Coup

The team have scored just 24 goals in 22 Premier League games this term and Stewart Downing is the top scorer with five, followed by fellow winger Marc Albrighton with four goals.

The current strikers at Houllier's disposal have failed to fire, with Emile Heskey scoring three times, while John Carew and Gabriel Agbonlahor have yet to get off the mark in the Premier League.

A deal for Bent would provide Houllier's squad with a major injection of goals and lift a Villa team that are currently short on confidence.

The offer for the former Charlton Athletic hit-man also represents a major show of support in Houllier from Villa owner Randy Lerner following a difficult start to the Frenchman's tenure at Villa Park.

Houllier has already splashed out £6million to sign Jean II Makoun in January, in addition to bringing in Kyle Walker on loan, and a swoop for Bent would be a coup for Villa at this stage of the season.

Comments (237)

Gazz Payne (Aston Villa fan) says...

Hay villa fans dont boo the team we just have some issues with our manager at the moment . villa fans are always herd above other fans and show passion for their club. i think bent will be a gud deal for us in our possion at the minute but i wish i knew were the money has come from . still who cares as long as we get back into our rightful place near the top of the table.

Posted 10:50 18th January 2011

Luke Gabriel (Charlton Athletic fan) says...

@Bradley Harding 'but most of darren bents goals are either penalties, or tap ins! he rarely scores screamers' how many goals did Van Nistelrooy score from outside the box for United....1!!! bet you would have snapped him up for 18 Mil!! yes alright 18 mill may be over priced for Bent but its the fact hes English and its the January transfer window if it was the start of the summer i believe the price would be more around the 15 mill mark tops! Villa simply need goals and for every chance Bent may miss he will still score every other game...who would you rather have leading your attack? someone who misses a few chances but still bags 15+ goals a season or Emile Hesky? fair enough their two different players but as i said Villa need the goals right now not the link up play that Hesky provides!

Posted 10:32 18th January 2011

Stewart Bell (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...

As a spurs fan he was 4th choice at best at spurs! a comment from Danny Wilkinson "and we could show him how a rreall football team play!" hmmm the league doesn't lie., and Sunderland have done the double over Villa this season,18-24mill hope Spurs put in a sell on clause

Posted 10:31 18th January 2011

Jordan Burn (Sunderland fan) says...

Personally as a Sunderland supporter I am bitterly disappointed, he has been a mega signing for us but now since he wants to leave we should move on and cash in on him. For £18m we can sign some very good players, we could sign all of our loan players and even as a part of the deal we could hopefully get Downing. For me Downing would be a great signing for us as a makeshift for Darren, we should go abroad for strikers like the rest of the good teams in the premier league. As for Darren Bent being over priced, what about Manchester City blowing millions on mediocre players such as Barry etc. not saying that Barry is a bad player I just believe that City cant win the title with players like Barry in the middle of the park. As for the Newcastle fans blasting that Darren Bent is overpriced they need to look at what Tottenham are offering for Andy Carrol, £30m wow id be driving him to London myself, Overrated player keep your money Harry!

Posted 10:20 18th January 2011

Dean Robson (Newcastle United fan) says...

Cheer up Sunderland fans, 5 - 1 at SJP and only just manged to scrap a 1 all at the stadium of plight..... Bent leaves you are in trouble, Bruce is on about signing three players for the money gained from selling Bent.... good on him, no matter what team it is when a player thinks they are bigger than the team sell them. Its funny that the sunderland fans are claiming Carroll will leave and newcastle have nothing, yes Carroll may leave and its possibly going to be not his choice, but Newcastle have not had a problem scoring goals without him, unlike sunderland who without bent cannot function. Look at your team where have you other goals come from? Now look at Newcastles...... Yep your right lots of other players scoring..... you may finsih higher this season, but your player exodus has started..........

Posted 10:08 18th January 2011

Marc Brown (Sunderland fan) says...

If Darren Bent wants to leave then so be it. As much I would like to keep him 18 million pound is alot of money. I say we only need to bring a replacement until the end of this, may be someone on loan to add competition upfront. Then in the summer we will have the 18 million plus what ever the owner is going to invest. I honestly think this may be a positive for sunderland, however it is going to be hard to replace a player who is a such a natural goal scorer. For those who say he is not a football, who cares, who scores goals! That is the point of the game!

Posted 10:05 18th January 2011

Adam Johnson (Sunderland fan) says...

could have understood if he wanted to leave last season when we were struggling but were on the up, and have the best chairmen in the league who is taken us in the right direction. Bent is still our best striker, proven in the league and hope he stays, but why say he luvs the area and luvs the support, why leave?

Posted 10:00 18th January 2011

John Salter (Aston Villa fan) says...

Darren Bent would be a great signing for Villa. No doubt Sunderland fans are now feeling like we did when Mercenary City took two of our best players Barry and Milner but that's life. Villa are only where they are in the table due to injuries and Bent knows that. Onward and upwards sorry Black Cats! UTV

Posted 09:43 18th January 2011

Lewis Burn (Sunderland fan) says...

Darren Bent to join aston villa for 24million. Sunderland too bring in pavlyuchenko in as a replacement for bent. Also steve bruce get charles n'zogbia signed up along with louis suarez. Bent, good look in the championship with villa.

Posted 09:23 18th January 2011

Billy Mcgee (Sunderland fan) says...

listen to that aston villa fan below, talking about how villa are a great team, which is making me laugh. The only good thing you had was martin o neil, What, gabby abanglohor is getting about as terrible as finishing as emile heskey, ashley young cant hit a barn door. your saying get darren bent to a a club who can show him how a real team plays ha! your manager regards a 68 year old robert pires as a good signing, I would like to thank darren bent for what he has done for the club in the time he has been here, howeve i truely feel that he will regret the move. hopefully steve will find another couple of valencia's or palacios's with the money.

Posted 09:16 18th January 2011

David Thorpe (Sunderland fan) says...

if super daz wants to leave let him he played his heart out and wants to move on thanks for goals and memroable moments good luck in the future great footballer.on another note i heard brucie wants michael owen shake your head man why when super kev wants outta b/ham it would be great to see the little fella back and what a reception he would get c,mon kev sign the dotted line.

Posted 09:09 18th January 2011

James Kellar (Sunderland fan) says...

I think its so funny to see pathetic newcastle fans commenting on here. No our performances again you havnt been good this season and you can see that by the way we have played against the other sides in the premier league. I sense jealousy, and i personally can't wait to comment on stories about carrol when he leaves, because lets be honest, he will leave. He is no shearer, loyal and professional are somehow not words you would use for carroll. So laugh it up, but for me 18-24mil thank you very much, robbie keane, a decent winger, job done!

Posted 08:35 18th January 2011

Gary Burns (Carlisle United fan) says...

Good bargain for Sunderland and very desperate buying by Villa but on the other hand, who says that the 18m isnt spread over a 48 month in which lots of transfers do these days and in that case could be a decent buy for Villa :D

Posted 08:30 18th January 2011

Alex Gadsby (Aston Villa fan) says...

Making me laugh all you sunderland fans saying your a bigger club than villa first season in a long time we have had a poor start, bent wants to move to a bigger club with plenty of english young talent around him, believe it or not fabio capello watches villa more than any other team in the league after manchester united and spurs which i totally agree alot bigger clubs than us, but sunderland fans get a grip you have had a good first half to the season we are 12 points behind you and it will soon close

Posted 08:27 18th January 2011

Jason Appleton (Newcastle United fan) says...

To all the Sunderland fans saying take the money, can someone tell me who else you can buy for £18million with the same proven record? You cant even afford Adeybayor, and he's been a total flop at City. As a nice gesture, we'll sell you Leon Best for £15million?

Posted 08:15 18th January 2011

Tom Castleton says...

I'm a spurs fan.... Van der Vaart for 8m!! Bent is not fit to lace his boots let alone 10m more!!! Villa could do with spending 18,24 M on other players. Apart from Millner and Barry leaving its the same side from the good one last year!! Maybe a scott parker would be a better buy i know id love Redknapp to go after him!! I'm utterly speachless that that someone wants to pay 18M for him AGAIN!!!!! We were mugs last time he is useless, Needs 5 chances to score, never passes to his own team and he should never play for England were bad enough!!!

Posted 08:11 18th January 2011

Jackie Cleminson (Sunderland fan) says...

On News Years Day I sat and watched Darren Bent score his first goal in a few games run to the fans in crazy corner and kiss the Sunderland badge!!!! 2 weeks ago!! Whats changed - somethings not right and I am sure that it will come out in next few weeks and months. I am sad that he wants to leave but the club doesn't need players who don't want to play for them.

Posted 07:37 18th January 2011

Simon Hurd (Aston Villa fan) says...

this is to all you so called football fans out there villa are one of the best sides in the prem and one of only a few that have been in the prem since it began can sunderland say that no thay can not . yes i agrey that 18mil is a lot but if bent scores 10 to 15 goals for us and we stay up then thats good business . id rather have some one who just taps them in than some one that is not scoring at all . all i can say is dont be bitter villa for 6th place again up the villa.

Posted 06:26 18th January 2011

Stu Fennell (Aston Villa fan) says...

This is so funny, Villa are paying 18million for Bent to join us, exspensive but it will be worth it, the reason im laughing, the sunderland fans expecting major players to join them, its going to cost you just as much to get an average player in, why on earth would players like downing even consider joining a team who are having a "Blackpool Moment" towards the top of the league, getting there is easy, its staying there that counts.

Posted 04:57 18th January 2011

Cornelius P (Sunderland fan) says...

I got to say that Sunderland should take this money and reinvest in better players like welbeck and probably get downing in as part of the transfer as well. Bent is notoriously selfish and i've been monitoring both bent and gyan and they don't seem to click at all. I believe the main reason for his leaving is that he is not the main striker for sunderland as before with gyan ard. It will be good to keep gyan rather than bent as gyan clicks with welbeck much better

Posted 03:28 18th January 2011

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