Goal : Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish insisted the club have no plans to sell striker Darren Bent.
There has been speculation over the England international’s future in recent weeks, and he has been recently linked with QPR. Rumours were fuelled when the forward was seen out shopping during his side’s 2-0 loss at home to Liverpool while he was out of action with a thigh injury.
The forward has scored five goals this season, falling short of the rate he sustained in the second half of last term when he netted nine times after a club record £18 million (€21.6m) move from Sunderland.
McLeish had earlier spoken of the need to sell players in order to free up money for new signings, but he has now moved to clarify that this does not involve the sale of Bent, telling reporters: “I wouldn’t think anybody can afford Darren.
“It would send out the wrong message unless we went out and signed Luis Suarez or something. A striker of Darren’s ability would be difficult to replace. His goals last season were a vital part of Villa’s season in terms of keeping them up.”