Should Tottenham Keep or Sell £16.5M Darren Bent to Celtic or Sunderland?
Press reports suggest that both Sunderland and Celtic are weighing up bids for Tottenham’s £16.5M striker Darren Bent this summer. The former Charlton man had a troubled first season at White Hart Lane due to a lack of first team activity and injury. Subsequently rumours now persist that Juande Ramos will be looking to cut the clubs losses and sell to the highest bidder this summer which may well be Scottish champions Celtic or Roy Keane’s ambitious Sunderland side.
Bent scored just 8 goals in 36 appearances for Spurs last season though he only started 15 games all season. Unfortunately his path into the first team was blocked by established Tottenham forwards Dimitar Berbatov, Robbie Keane and Jermain Defoe as well as his style not suiting the slower short passing game of the North Londoners.
Rumours of Celtic’s interest in the player is somewhat surprising as it’s difficult to imagine they could afford the reported £12M transfer fee he would demand so a loan option may be more likely. However, Sunderland have both the cash and a desperate need for a striker after the long-term injury sustained by main forward Kenwyne Jones whilst on international duty this summer. He is expected to miss the entire season so Roy Keane may see Bent as the perfect replacement for the Trinidad and Tobago international. The 24-year-old forward has been linked to Liverpool, Aston Villa, Newcastle and West Ham in the past but whether those clubs remain interested remains to be seen.
So would Spurs fans like to see the back of Bent so soon into his Tottenham career or do you think he deserves a chance if Berbatov departs? Would Celtic and Sunderland welcome Bent’s arrival or would you be wary of signing a costly flop? Let’s hear your views.
Tags: Aston Villa, Celtic, Darren Bent, Liverpool, Newcastle, Premier League, Sunderland, Tottenham, West Ham
June 17th, 2008 at 15:52
Nice writing style. Looking forward to reading more from you.
Chris Moran
June 17th, 2008 at 16:05
Give the lad a chance in the side or sell him for highest bidder. To be fair if Ramos doesn’t rate him then no point keeping him. I think with the added creativity in the side next season the goals could flow but not sure he is skilful enough for the Tottenham faithful as he struggled in the big games from what i saw.
June 17th, 2008 at 16:07
Either!
If he went to Celtic I’d want £3m - £5m + Boruc,
If he went to Sunderland I’d want £5m - £6m plus Gordon
(I’d prefer the former!)
June 17th, 2008 at 16:22
He would love it at a bigger club, huge crowds, trophies and plenty of goals..it would be the perfect move for him. He would form a great partnership with with Scott or our Dutch destroyer!
June 17th, 2008 at 16:37
Andrew, i’d be expecting Spurs to pay us £5m plus Bent before we would even think about selling Boruc on to you!
June 17th, 2008 at 16:38
First of all Andrew above your valuations are in cloud cuckoo land - get real!
Secondly I don’t think anyone has a right to call Bent a flop. 8 goals in 15 starts is not failure. OK he’s had sub appearances too but some players need to get a run of games to get into their stride. I think you’ll find there are loads of strikers who have a worse strike rate than Bent and who get to play week in week out. This is simply a feature of Spurs having an embarassment of riches in this area.
Happy if he comes to Sunderland for £8M
June 17th, 2008 at 16:39
andrew… Indeed im sure you would prefer the former, for it would be a bargin.
When spurs baught him they overpaid at £16.5M everyone at the time felt so, so now after a bad season his value?
Spurs would be delighted if they could get £10M back but im sure would settle for £8m
As for Boruc’s value? Well how much would a younger Schemichel be worth(not Casper). A player who has been in form for both Celtic and Poland for the past 3 seasons not to mention he will more than likely end up bieng considered the best golkeeper at the Euros.
Well i would think that the valuation would have the money + player deal goin to Glasgow.
June 17th, 2008 at 16:42
3m-5m plus boruc?
you must be having a laugh
you also seem to rate gordon as a better keeper!
i hope you sign gordon youll realise what a mistake he is after a couple of games
June 17th, 2008 at 16:46
i’d be disappointed if celtic were to want to spend any of their champions league cash on a player who so obviously lacks any class. decent goalscorer if given the chance he may be in the lower leagues in england, but an embarassing waste of money by tottenaham,who would be doing well to recoup a couple of milion.
i don’t think darren will get the chance to play for one of the biggest clubs in the world, celtic usually spend much more wisely.
June 17th, 2008 at 16:54
so bent is a flop……….also eduardo is a flop cause hes not first choice, crouch is a flop, its a team squad game thses days so its called roration an he has got goals for us last season with limited oppertunites
June 17th, 2008 at 18:14
He’s no Flop.
He scored 8 in all competitions despite missing half the season through injury whilst competing with Jermain Defoe for a place on the bench, and then showed some amazing form when he finally got his run in the team at the end.
In his best season for Charlton he scored 18 premier league goals - which betters Berbatov’s best of 15 for this season just gone and 16 which is Keane’s best tally in the league for Spurs.
He can score more than either of them in this team, if he is given his fair share of starts and stays clear of injury.
We paid good money for him, based on his reputation… now lets see what he can do when he’s actually FIT, not miss out on seeing him in a side that will now make a LOT of chances from all areas of the pitch.
It would be a total waste of time and money and talent to let him go.
June 17th, 2008 at 18:51
def totally agree daz ur da man…hes young an fit an wiling to be a sub an willin to take hes time an wait for her oppertunity, now get of hes back….people are jus so jealous to knokc him and we did not pay 16.5 mil for him it was 10-12 up front an rest in appearences an boneses, UNDERSTAND JEALOUS FANS NOT 16.5 MIL
June 17th, 2008 at 22:24
God you lot have got short memories.
23 goals and top English scorer in his first full season in the prem, 13 in a relegation year where he missed over 15 games, and played in many games carrying an injury. Teams that get relegated do not create chances, yet he still got 13. Bent would love it in Scotland. Villa would be a good move for him. If he gets games you will see his class, and being with a much better team than my beloved Charlton, he can only get better. Personally I think he should stay with Spurs. If Berba goes, watch the former Addick fly as he feeds off Keane. Let’s see what your saying this time next year.
June 17th, 2008 at 22:28
I’d think very carefully before letting Bent go. (a) he’s never really had a long enough spell as a starter to do himself justice. He was a very good striker & full of pace while at Ipswich & Charlton, I think he needs a chance. (b) If Berbatove gets on his bike, we are going to be a striker or two short. (c) he’s English & if the rule of 6/5 ever comes in it would be sensible to keep him, at least till things are clarified on this matter. (d) if we are to let him go, & Celtic want him, we could do worse than to swp him for their keeper, Artur Boruc, who has kept very well for Poland.
June 18th, 2008 at 06:50
Keep Darren Bent, hes crap, just like the rest of your squad.
61 Never again
Always in our shadow
AFC PRIDE OF LONDON
June 18th, 2008 at 08:17
KEEP THE GUY SIMPLE AS THAT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 18th, 2008 at 20:45
At least when Spurs run out they don’t play the Marseillaise