Charlton ponder Bent sale
Bent - his goals kept Charlton up last season
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Friday, 17, Nov 2006 10:42
Darren Bent could be sold in January to help bring in fresh blood and save Charlton from relegation.
The England striker is the south London club's prize asset and has scored nine goals this season despite the fact that his team have only won twice in the Premiership.
Bent perhaps represents Charlton's best hope of climbing off the bottom of the table, but new head coach Les Reed has been told he needs to sell before he can buy after his predecessor Iain Dowie spent £11 million in pre-season.
"I think it probably will mean wheeling and dealing," Reed admitted.
Selling Bent would raise around £10 million, but as Dowie demonstrated in the summer, that money might not go very far.
Quality strikers can be just as valuable in a relegation battle as they are in the race for the title, meaning Reed will have to think long and hard before sacrificing Bent's goals to boost his transfer kitty.
The 22-year-old was worth 15 points to the Valley outfit last season, which was the difference between them finishing 13th and going down.
If Bent is sold, he is unlikely to interest any of the big four, but Newcastle might come in for him.
The Magpies will be without Michael Owen and Shola Ameobi for the rest of the season, while Nigeria striker Obafemi Martins is yet to settle in the Premiership.