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Bent move could spark window shopping

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TEAMtalk's Simon Wilkes feels Darren Bent's £18m move to Aston Villa could be the spark that ignites this month's transfer window.

Darren Bent arrived at Villa Park on Tuesday, and the completion of his transfer could finally spark what has been a lifeless transfer window into life.

There has been plenty of speculation about January deals so far this month, but little on the dotted line.

Within minutes of hearing about Bent slapping in a transfer request at the Stadium of Light, we heard whispers that Aston Villa had lodged a bid with the Black Cats on Sunday night which is believed to be £18million, rising to a possible £24million.

We heard the sound of Villa fans falling off their chairs up and down the country when they saw the price tag - but at 26 Bent has many prolific years ahead of him.

The England squad player netted 25 goals in his first full season in the North-East and is on 11 so far this season.

Since the 2005-06 season, Bent is only one goal behind Wayne Rooney and Didier Drogba (both 82) in the scorers' list, so the valuation is more than justified.

Looking at the Premier League table, the move seems madness, with Steve Bruce's Cats sitting pretty in sixth and Gerard Houllier's Villans hovering precariously above the drop zone in 17th place on 22 points - only two better off than rockbottom West Ham.

But Bent has often cut a frustrated figure on Wearside this season, seemingly annoyed by a lack of quality service from the Sunderland midfield.

Villa, on the other hand, create chance after chance thanks to having natural wingers Stewart Downing and Marc Albrighton on the flanks, and have just been missing a fox in the box who knows where the onion bag is.

I'm happy to admit I've never been Bent's biggest fan, especially when it comes to playing on the international stage - but his strength lies in clinical finishing in the 18-yard box, so he's a perfect fit for Villa.

Bagging Bent is also a huge statement of support for Houllier from Randy Lerner, and although £18million seems a large investment, it would help Villa pull clear of the top-tier trapdoor so would be money well spent.

Bent's arrival at Villa Park should also have a huge knock-on effect for a number of other clubs - and I'm personally hoping it happens.

Villa's Midlands rivals West Brom have been asking for some neighbourly help from Houllier and want out-of-favour striker John Carew, who has never had a good relationship with the Frenchman and would no doubt jump at the chance of regular first-team football without having to relocate.

If the Baggies capture Carew, they'd give the thumbs up to ambitious Leicester, who want to sign Ishmael Miller on loan as they push for promotion from the Championship.

The spotlight also falls on who could replace Bent at the Stadium of Light - but I don't think Bruce should be in any rush to splash his cash on a new frontman. Danny Welbeck has gelled well with £13million signing Asamoah Gyan whenever they have played together, and the Ghanaian could well benefit from emerging out of Bent's shadow.

Bruce arguably needs to strengthen his midfield and central defensive options, especially if he has dreams or reaching Europe this season.

Sunderland fans did not enjoy seeing Kevin Nolan and Joey Barton running rings around the Cats' engine room in Sunday's derby, so a midfielder who can dictate play and create chances needs to be top of Bruce's shopping list.

Sulley Muntari has been mentioned as a target, but he insists he would only join a London club, so a more achievable target is Birmingham playmaker and set-piece specialist Sebastian Larsson - who recently held talks with Newcastle but failed to agree terms.

Robbie Keane is available after turning down a move to St Andrew's but could prove a bit too pricey. A cheaper, better option for Bruce could be a cheeky bid for Kenny Miller, who is available from Rangers for around £600,000 (plus add-ons) due to his contract situation at Ibrox.

We've all been waiting for the window to kick into gear here at TEAMtalk Towers, and with just 14 days left until it slams shut, Bent's transfer could be the catalyst for a frantic fortnigh

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