Sky Sports' Bryan Swanson reporting...

[JackyFulham90]

For me Bent for £6m is a good signing he will score goals for us

[Bassey the warrior]

Got a lot of time for bent, I don't know how people can justify their dislike to him

He's 10x faster than anyone we currently have in our squad and i'm pretty sure if he got 30 games for us, he will score at least 10..

We need someone who will hang on the shoulder of the last defender and make a run, which we can all agree on is not one of Berbatov's best traits. Bent needs to be making the runs and Berbatov needs to be making the pass, thats what worked so well at United with Rooney and one of the reasons why Berba was never that prolific at United

Not sure about that. Riether is as quick, Kaca, Frei, Mesca.

[Lighthouse]

Now another bid has been turned down and many others have dropped out I am wondering if we are spending all our efforts on this for a player that is way past his best. I would love Fulham to tell Villa to stick it now and leave them with a player that doesn't want to play for them that they have priced out of the market.

[simplyfulham]

I *love* this 'proven in the premier league' argument.

Michu anyone?

Torres anyone?

Rest my case.

Bent jus doesn't offer enough. Like AJ - on his day, when the team clicks. He scores goals. Otherwise he might as well be invisible.

He doesn't offer anything apart from goals, and - for my money - doesn't ffer enough goals for a £6m fee.

[FFCByTheRiver]

for my money - doesn't ffer enough goals for a £6m fee.

Up to this bit it was a reasonable argument.

BUT.


Not enough goals for £6m?

22
15
8
17
25
11
9
10

That's per season from 2005/6-2011/12, before he was frozen out of the team last year.

Not enough goals for £6m!?!

[simplyfulham]

That's per season from 2005/6-2011/12, before he was frozen out of the team last year.

Not enough goals for £6m!?!
[/quote]

I just wanted to do one (pedantic) thing. Let's just include his Premier league goals. I never think it's fair to include the goals score against Nowhereville Town or FC Neverheardovv in the cups.

I'm not entirely sure where you got those stats from, but I double checked his history from http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/players/profile.career-history.html/darren-bent

05/06:  22   PL:  18
06/07:  15   PL:  13
07/08:  8   PL:  6
08/09:  17   PL:  12
09/10:  25   PL:  24
10/11:  11   PL:  17
11/12:  9   PL:  9
??/??:  10   PL:  ??              I think we overlapped somewhere maybe?

It's still a more than reputable haul. But is past goals really an indication of future goals?

Of course if he's got 6/7 by Jan I'll be happy to eat my words!

[farfouille]

Not in his peak, not a proven goalscorer...  

He IS a goal machine and 29 is usually the peak in football players' careers.

Bent is a good striker left on bench last season and now for sale at an underrated price. Does all that remind you of someone?

[Markffc123]

dident zamora have his peak season at the age of 29 with us in the europa campaign?..i think bent will be a good addition but i cant see us spending £6million and putting bent on the bench he will have to start no doubt-so i will back him to score 10-15 goals

[Texas White]

Bent scores when he plays, regardless of whether he got dropped, when he did play last season he scored. Cant really understand how people dont want him

+1

A steal for a man who will be on fire to prove a point.

One thing Bent is guaranteed to provide is goals. Proven in the Premier League, and cheap by modern standards at 5-6m

[fulham traveller]

he might end up at rangers at this rate

[Artful Dodger]

One would hope Jol wants a player that will fit in with his plan to get more from the team and allows Ruiz and Berbatov to play most effectively. Therefore, if he is going for Bent, it is to improve the team and surely £6m is not over priced so why don't we just get the deal done and get him in. If we are just scrabbling around for anyone who may be available and trying to pay as little as possible, then forget it. I know we have to pay the proper price etc but £1m in this day and age is nothing.

[Bryanthebroom]

I think we probably have more than one iron in the fire. Anyway, villa have said bent will never play for them again so really we're in a position of strength. We'll pay how much we think he's worth and if villa don't like it, let them pay him 65k a week for the next 2 yrs