Tuesday, 18th January 2011
Aston Villa have announced the signing of Darren Bent from Sunderland for an initial £18M. The total outlay could rise to £24M depending on add-ons related to Bent’s and the club’s performance over the duration of his four and a half year contract.
The 26-year-old expressed his wish to leave Sunderland and join Villa yesterday, handing in a transfer request at the North East club, a move which would surely have seen him forfeit an extra payment had he not pushed for the transfer.
And Bent insisted that money was not the main factor behind his move to Villa Park.
"As soon as I knew they were interested in signing me I wanted to join", said the former Tottenham Hotspur striker. "The size of the club and its history are major reasons for me coming here. There are some top, top players here too, real quality, and I’ve been able to speak to the manager and the owner about their ambitions for the club. I’m very excited about being part of what we hope to achieve."
Bent is expected to make his debut for Villa against Manchester City at Villa Park on Saturday.
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