• Premier League

Fulham sign Bent on loan

Darren Bent has joined Fulham on loan after being told he is surplus to requirements at Aston Villa © PA Photos

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Darren Bent has joined Fulham on a season-long loan deal from Aston Villa.

The deal to bring Bent, 29, to Craven Cottage was struck after late interest in a similar agreement from Crystal Palace manager Ian Holloway.

The striker worked with Martin Jol at Tottenham, who brought him to White Hart Lane from Charlton Athletic, while he later hit 36 goals in 63 games in a prolific spell at Sunderland.

"Darren Bent is a striker I have always admired," Jol told Fulham's official website. "He has shown in the Barclays Premier League that he is composed and clinical in front of goal but, even if he is not scoring, he is involved in some good link-up play, creating opportunities for his team-mates.

"I'm delighted that he has joined us - he gives us pace up front and I am confident that he will add to our goals scored tally this season."

Villa have spent most of the transfer window trying to secure a permanent £6 million sale of Bent, with Palace, Newcastle and Fulham all mooted as possible destinations.

But it later became clear that a move to Craven Cottage on a loan deal would be the likeliest option.

Sources have told ESPN that Fulham have agreed to pay a loan fee in the region of £2m as well as contributing the majority of Bent's £65,000-a-week Villa Park wages.

He has been desperate to bring a conclusion to a difficult last 12 months at Villa, where he has been sidelined under Lambert largely due to the emergence of Christian Benteke.

Bent was also exiled from training with the first-team squad when he returned for pre-season and told he would not feature in Villa's plans.

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