Aston Villa’s Darren Bent gives value for money even at £24m
The reported £24m required to land Darren Bent from Sunderland in January appeared to indicate the desperation of a side unexpectedly dragged into the relegation mire. Less than four months on, the admittedly hefty fee represents value for money.
Upon Bent’s arrival, Aston Villa hovered just one place above the relegation zone, a shock to the system after a sixth-placed finish in the previous campaign. The departure of Martin O’Neill just five days before the start of the season brought about a spell of patchy form as the Villains failed to kick-start their campaign and a series of draws spanning from September to November gave strong indications that their concerns would lie at the bottom, rather than the top of the table. Draws quickly turned to defeats in the festive period as Villa began to slide down the table, losing six of nine matches prior to Bent’s arrival.
Bent’s capture at a seemingly exorbitant fee - an initial £18m, potentially rising to £24m - appeared a direct knee-jerk reaction to the instability caused by O’Neill’s sudden departure and the side’s equally unexpected lack of form. Signed as the man to provide the firepower to propel Villa up the table and with a heavy burden on his shoulders, Bent delivered from the off. On his debut he scored the only goal of the game to beat Manchester City, a morale-boosting result that saw the team go on to record consecutive wins for the first time this season with a hard-fought win over struggling Wigan Athletic. In addition to his obvious goal threat, Bent’s arrival appeared to lift spirits at Villa Park and instil confidence in a season that was previously heading into freefall.
Scroll down for rest of article
But scoring goals remains his forte and he has delivered, netting nine in 15 games in the league since his arrival. Bent notched a key strike against West Ham, drawing his side level before they went on to claim a precious three points, whilst he earned valuable draws against Stoke City and Everton, bagging a brace in the latter. His most prominent brace came in the weekend win against Arsenal, the win that mathematically confirmed Villa’s safety and prompted caretaker manager Gary McAllister to proclaim: “It’s a signing that’s saved the club.”
Bent’s pace, persistence and predatory instincts have propelled Villa to safety and put his transfer into context. With flying wingers in Ashley Young, Stewart Downing and Marc Albrighton, the club’s hierarchy pinpointed the need for a proven goalscorer and the transfer fee was required to secure a striker of his calibre. Despite netting 11 goals in 23 appearances for Sunderland this season, his signing still represented a huge gamble, not only because of the fee involved, but also in context of Bent’s previous unsuccessful big-money move to Tottenham Hotspur. Enjoying success for both club and country – with Fabio Capello installing the Villa front man as England’s No 9 - Bent has undoubtedly proved his worth.
Hyperbole suggests you can’t put a price on Premiership survival. Villa know that £24m has secured theirs.
See the full list of OLBG's free Football Tips here.
Related Articles
|