Darren signs on

Last updated : 29 June 2007 By Gareth Davies
Tottenham Hotspur today confirmed the transfer of Darren Bent from Charlton for a club record £16.5m. Bent passed a medical on Thursday and signed a deal of up to six years, with the fee being paid by installments.

Speaking at the clubs training ground this morning the England international was delighted by the move: "Tottenham have a lot of young English players and it's a young squad, it's a squad going forward and that's the direction I wanted to take.

"It's exciting times for me and Spurs and hopefully I'll show what I can do."

Bent had recently snubbed a move to West Ham in order to fulfill his dream of playing for Tottenham. "They seem to be getting better and better every season and I would love to be part of that", the Cambridge born striker explained.

Manager Martin Jol was understandably delighted by the capture of a player he has long admired, saying: "Darren's strength is his stamina.

"Normally players will make runs three or four times in 45 minutes, he will do it all the time and if you manage to play balls behind the defence, he will be there. That's what I like about him.

"He has pace, he links play well and can see a pass - he can exploit the space and play as well.

Sporting Director Damien Comolli, who has a large part to play in all of Tottenham's transfers is confident that the club had got the right man: Tottenham's sporting director, Damien Comolli, added: "Darren has showed fantastic motivation and desire to join the club and we are absolutely delighted to have him.

"He recognised we have a project here and as a player he wants to work with Martin Jol and showed that all the way.

"The two signings we've completed so far in Darren and Gareth Bale offer us massive improvement in terms of the squad, players with great potential whose best days are in front of them."

The wording Comolli uses of 'So far' suggests that the £16.5m paid for Bent, which breaks the record set by the transfer of Sergei Rebrov in 2000, does not compromise our ability to go after other targets, namely the quality left-winger we have been chasing for years.