Aston Villa bid 18million for Darren Bent

Darren Bent has handed in a transfer request today Sunderland accepted it along with an £18million bid from Aston Villa. Apparently Bent is on his way to Birmingham for a medical.

Personally, I'm guttered about this. OK, Bent hasn't been the same since his injury but he is still our top scorer. Aston Villa are in a relegation battle and we are 6th. I think he's had a falling out with Steve Bruce. I just hope Steve Bruce has someone to replace him. Michael Owen and Robbie Keane have been rumoured.

Now I remember saying when Steve Bruce joined Sunderland that he would end up signing Emile Heskey..........It could happen now.

I've heard Stephen Ireland and/or Stuart Downing maybe involved in the deal. Also, the fee could go up to £24million depending on appearences.

I'd rather him stay.

why? You know how much you can get for that right. Plus bruce will have faith in the progress of mr africa, yes fuck off my head is properly tired and i cant quite drag his name out at the mo. Would sunderland maybe benefit from a left back and attacking midfielder and then with those still get the goals that bent has got? Focus will just be on other striker. Also unlimited loans of utd's talent and first dibs on any transfers from them really. I dunno i think others will get into the bent position and maybe even be more composed

Sexton you have a point. I think Gyan (that Mr Africa guy ) will score the goals. The money will come in handy for new players. A creative midfielder is what we need but also another striker if Bent goes.

Birmingham have announced they are not signing Robbie Keane so I'd imagine we'd go back in for him.

Creative Midfielder wise, we were rumoured for bidding for Charlie Adam. I wouldn't mind him.

The Man Utd loans are helping but I think all that is buttering Bruce up for Jordan Henderson in the summer.

use the money from Bent to strengthen overall would be best i would imagine

I don't know Hodge, I would rather us building the team around our top goal scorer.

does fergie really need to butter bruce up lol valencia springs to mind. Sometimes a creative mid is more important than well, bent. Especially if there is tension at base camp.

Well, he's gone. Got to admire Bruce though, saying no player is bigger than a club.

A creative midfielder - as Sexton said - and another scorer is needed sooner rather than later now.

Charlie Adam would be nice. Robbie Keane I wouldn't mind as Asamoh Gyan will now be the main goalscorer.

I would've taken the money and ran at the 1st bid.

a good hard working european forward would be good for you, although you could also probably get a goal poacher for around 6-8 million if you go to the right league. And aslong as they are kept happy they will score in your team. But keane would be a good player to link your striker/s to the mid. So you could play with 3 up vs anyone cos of what keane adds, but also change it round a fair bit. I'm Getting excited for you now.

Sexton Hardcastle wrote:

a good hard working european forward would be good for you, although you could also probably get a goal poacher for around 6-8 million if you go to the right league. And aslong as they are kept happy they will score in your team. But keane would be a good player to link your striker/s to the mid. So you could play with 3 up vs anyone cos of what keane adds, but also change it round a fair bit. I'm Getting excited for you now.

I agree with you about Keane. I've just heard a rumour from a mate that Peter Crouch is unhappy at Spurs and Bruce is a fan of his. Bruce has done quite well in picking out players form other countries, Figeroa, Palacios and Valencia to name a few, so i'm quietly confident that we will get someone.

I'm suprised we didn't get any Villa players as part of the deal tbh.

The amount of kids Villa are having to play, I don't think they've got the players to include!

Hell of a deal for Villa. I read earlier that Bent is one of the most prolific Premiership strikers since 2005, with 81 goals (behind Rooney and Drogba), they can ship out the strikers that don't score (Carew and Heskey), I'm not convinced by Agbonlahor as a top flight striker at all - I think he's more of a winger.

Yeah Grec, he is only one behind Rooney on the goalscoring front.

I thought Heskey or Ireland would came our way. Bruce is also intrested in Stuart Downing - but I know Villa will let him leave because Asley Young wants to move back to London.

Plus Liverpool want Downing too, Houllier's probably thinking that if he sells, having 2 interested clubs pushes the price up.

didnt newcaslte want crouch if tottenham wanted carroll or something like that?

its potentially the busiest window ever though, january is dead usually

Yeah I heard that about Crouch too.

This Press conference sounds faniliar........

http://rokerreport.com/2011/01/18/darrn-bnt-buzzword-bingo/

Oh dear Darren. I'm glad you've gone. Bring on Heskey

Bruce confirms interest in Sessegnon.

http://www.safc.com/news/20110120/bruce-confirms-sessegnon-interest_2256213_2271751

Quality player Mack I remember watching him in Emirates Cup a year or so back and he ripped everyone to shreds.

Aye I heard. To be honest i've never heard of him. We need someone like, Wellbeck out for 8weeks, Only Gyan as a striker.

think you will be pleasently surprised once he settles in if it goes through mate.

you could do with another striker aswell though, any word of who he's going for? said he had 3 or 4 possible names?

Jay Bothroyd and Robbie Keane are the only realistic names at the min.

Peter Crouch doing the rounds also.

We need someone though. Still wouldn't be suprised if we sign Heskey

ruled out keane hasnt he?

Not sure to be honest. Probably if he's after 80k a week, we didn't pay Bent that much.

I'm unsure of Bothroyd too. Reminds me of Michael Chopra. Good at championship level - but Bothroyd hasn't premiership experience that I kbow of.

What about this Maynard chap you and Hodge fight over? Is he and good?

he would actually fit your system really well tbh, dont know if sunderland have ever had their eye on him, basically everyone else has though, probs a bit far for sunderland to come scouting when he was here.

think bristol have proven that they are going nowhere though, so if anyone wanted to take a chance im sure he'd come

Sexton Hardcastle wrote:

he would actually fit your system really well tbh, dont know if sunderland have ever had their eye on him, basically everyone else has though, probs a bit far for sunderland to come scouting when he was here.

think bristol have proven that they are going nowhere though, so if anyone wanted to take a chance im sure he'd come

Maynard has been injured all season, no way he is leaving in Jan or even next summer imo

Sexton Hardcastle wrote:

he would actually fit your system really well tbh, dont know if sunderland have ever had their eye on him, basically everyone else has though, probs a bit far for sunderland to come scouting when he was here.

think bristol have proven that they are going nowhere though, so if anyone wanted to take a chance im sure he'd come

I don't know much of him so can't comment. Bruce has always looked far and wide for players so I wouldn't be suprised if he's looked at players in that league before the whole Bent saga

As Mack says, I wouldn't be surprised either if Sunderland sign Heskey. Bruce seems to have a liking for Heskey.

Definitely need to sign a forward though, only have Gyan as a recognisable striker.