Charlton ready to accept Spurs' £16m for Bent
Darren Bent is expected to complete a £16m move to Tottenham within the next seven days after Charlton agreed to accept a reduced offer for their striker.
Peter Varney, Charlton's chief executive, had said Bent would remain with the club unless their £17m valuation was matched. West Ham had agreed to that figure and offered Bent a five-year contract worth about £75,000 a week but after talks and a medical was arranged the 23-year-old England forward pulled out.
Charlton have since softened their stance and are ready to settle for £15m with a potential extra £1m in success-related payments. The biggest potential bar to the move is Liverpool's continuing search for a forward. Should they fail to land Atlético Madrid's Fernando Torres, then serious interest is anticipated, though Rafael Benítez has other options.
Charlton, despite their relegation from the Premiership last season, are not under short-term financial pressure to sell but realise Bent's departure is inevitable. They have already signed the forwards Luke Varney and Chris Iwelumo and Alan Pardew will use the funds generated from Bent's sale to bring in at least eight new players between now and the end of August, when the summer transfer window shuts. More money is likely to come in for Dennis Rommedahl, who is the subject of an offer from Rennes.
Tottenham's initial interest in Bent was lodged in January and they have asked to be kept updated since. Alan Curbishley, the West Ham and former Charlton manager, was also keen on Bent, having signed him from Ipswich two years ago, and will be dismayed that Charlton have now lowered their asking price to see the transfer speeded up. West Ham had offered cash plus Hayden Mullins for Bent but there will be no makeweight players in the Tottenham deal.
Bent's snub to West Ham will become all the more acute when he accepts a contract within the wage structure at White Hart Lane, where Robbie Keane is the top earner on an estimated £50,000 a week. The move will, however, cast doubt over the future of Jermain Defoe.
One figure at Charlton said he believed the deal would be profitable for Tottenham in the long run. "The main reason we think Darren has such a high value is because he has just turned 23," said the Charlton source. "In four years' time do you think for one minute transfer fees will have gone down with all the TV money coming in? He will be 27 and one of the top English centre-forwards. He's going to be worth at least £20m.
"Basically we see it as a free deal for somebody. OK, there is a cashflow implication but they will profit. If you buy Michael Owen at 27 - £9m transfer fee, £120,000-a-week - you've got to write that all off because in four years' time he'll be 31 and nearing the end of his career. It's a good deal and, once it's happened, in a year's time it will look cheap."
With Owen's Newcastle future uncertain the source also suggested Sam Allardyce, backed by the club's new owner, Mike Ashley, could yet launch a late bid for Bent. The same goes for Manchester City, in the light of Thaksin Shinawatra's takeover. Liverpool are believed to have made inquiries through Bent's adviser, Neil Fewings, but he would not be guaranteed first-team football there, which Bent sees as crucial to his international career.
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This is an interesting piece of news. Bros, what are your views of Spurs strikers situation if and when the deal is done?
