Bent Rejects WestHam

[RiverWire]

Bent rejects West Ham to open door for move to Tottenham
By Sam Wallace
Published: 15 June 2007

Darren Bent last night rejected the chance to sign for West Ham despite the club offering around £18m for his signature - far in excess of the £12m that Tottenham would be willing to make available. While Tottenham are yet to make an official bid, the player's decision clears the way for them to sign him.

Given the disparity of the wages on offer for the 23-year-old, by holding out for Tottenham's bid it reveals the degree of his conviction that they are the right club for him. Tottenham are understood to be offering personal terms of £30,000-a-week, around half of what West Ham are prepared to pay. It has always been Bent's preference that he move to Tottenham despite reports that West Ham had sealed his signature.

It leaves West Ham in an embarrassing situation given that even the inflated wages they are prepared to pay do not seem to be enough to persuade players to join Alan Curbishley's rebuilding programme. The club chairman Eggert Magnusson promised an "exciting announcement" earlier yesterday, although that seems to have been premature.

It places Charlton in an awkward position because they had hoped to sell him to the highest bidder. The club's chief executive Peter Varney said last night that the player would start the season at Charlton, although it seems inconceivable that they will not agree to sell him at some point.

"We set a valuation for Darren and West Ham were the only club prepared to meet that valuation," Varney said. "We gave them permission to speak to Darren, which he did, and he has decided not to join West Ham."

The failure to sell Bent means that the anticipated burst of activity in the transfer market has been delayed. Bent's transfer holds the key to a number of players' futures including Craig Bellamy, Jermain Defoe and Andy Johnson. It now seems that West Ham will have to target Bellamy, who is also sought by Aston Villa.

[funster]

£12m, £17m, £18m..... whatever the figure is, the world has gone mad. How - somebody please explain to me - can Bent be worth that kind of cash?!

I gather the Irons were even willing to pay him something like £75k per week. Totally nuts.

[Beats]

Yea, let them have him! 12mil would be too much...

[seesider]

west ham should of bought. Hasn't impressed me in a spurs shirt

[DarlingtonYid]

whats this of bringing all the old posts up ?

[THFCWill]

Really annoying...One of them caught me out LOL.