ALAN PARDEW has warned any clubs wanting to buy Darren Bent
at the end of the season that they will have to pay an Andriy
Shevchenko-type fee. The Ukrainian joined Chelsea for £30million
last summer and Pardew believes Bent, seven years younger than
Sheva and with a proven Premiership pedigree, has the potential to
be every bit as good.
He said: "It's nothing to do with Darren. If he is sold it will be
determined by market forces. "The market forces are determined by
the price Shevchenko has gone for, and the new contracts that
players like Didier Drogba have signed. There is big money in the
game and big figures are going to get accepted.
"We have a prize asset and the prize asset in terms of Darren is a
striker with a guarantee of Premiership goals, and a team player.
"Forget about anything else because there are a lot of Premiership
strikers who are not team players. No one concentrates more on the
team than myself and that is why Darren will have the armband on
Saturday."
But Bent is yet to win over new England coach Steve McClaren. The
Charlton striker is disappointed he and Jermain Defoe struggle to
get a look-in. He said: "It upsets me because after a while you
start thinking to yourself: 'What more do I have to do?'
"I have known Jermain since we were kids and he has been knocking
in goals for years. He still knocks in around 15 or 16 a season yet
he doesn't get considered either and I just don't understand
it."
