Bent: Arsenal Sold Henry Cheaply
Darren Bent hopes to be involved in his first North London derby on
Saturday when Tottenham Hotspur host neighbours and arch-enemies
Arsenal. In the build-up to the game he has spoken of the
similarity in the transfer fees that took him to White Hart Lane
this summer in the same week that Thierry Henry left the
Emirates...
Eyebrows were raised when Arsenal's talismanic captain and all-time
leading goalscorer Thierry Henry was sold to Barcelona this summer
for £16 million in the same week that Charlton's Darren Bent was
bought by Tottenham Hotspur for £16.5million.
Was Bent, an occasional England international, ove-priced, or was
the world-class Henry drastically under-valued? The pricing, of
course, took account to the relative ages of the two strikers. Bent
was 23; Henry was a few weeks away from his 30th birthday.
Nevetheless, Bent feels Arsenal let Henry go too cheaply.
He said: If it was me selling him, Thierry would be going for a
lot more than that. Barca did well to get him for that price.
I went to Spurs a couple of days after he went so comparisons
between the two transfers were bound to happen. But Im not worried
by it its just the market.
Barcelona managed to get Thierry for £16million and Tottenham came
and got me for £16.5million it doesnt mean were the same.
Its simply what Tottenham were willing to pay and what Barca were
willing to pay.
Wandsworth-born Bent has been rumoured in the past to be an Arsenal
fan, the former Ipswich striker has revealed he actually supports
Chelsea.
But he is itching to be involved in the derby at White Hart Lane on
Sturday, and to sample the unique atmosphere.
He resumed training this week after recovering from a thigh injury,
and said:
"Im a London boy so, for me, this fixture is one of the big
ones.
You can see how much it means to people.
I remember watching a Spurs v Arsenal derby on TV a couple of
years back and it was just ferocious tackles flying in, stuff
like that.
Bent will be aiming to help Spurs achieve a victory over Arsenal at
the Lane for he first time since November 1999. Tottenham haven't
beaten their rivals anywhere in the last 18 meetings in all
competitions.
And that 2-1 reverse on 7th November 1999 was the only time in 25
meetings since he became Arsenal manager that Arsene Wenger has
experienced defeat in the North London derby.
