Should Liverpool sign Darren Bent? Lewis Doe puts a case forward to why the Reds should sign the striker.
Darren Bent is one of many high profile players who has been linked with a move to Anfield this January. Not all Liverpool fans want to sign him, but here are five reasons why the Aston Villa striker would be a good signing for the Reds.
His Role
Bent’s role as a striker is to play on the shoulder of the opposition defence, you will never see him sprinting back into the midfield to provide cover for midfield players out of position. Bent would compliment the way Luis Suarez plays perfectly because Suarez is a much busier player who prefers to dart around the opposition back line, drop off from defence to get the ball and also drift out wide. Bent’s presence in attack would allow Suarez to go with his natural urges.
His Power
Bent is a very strong striker who would add a little bit of power to the Liverpool attack. He is not the sort of player you will see getting brushed off the ball regularly because he is good enough and strong enough to compete with most strikers. It also gives him the ability to compete for the ball in the air which is important for Liverpool because they don’t have anyone in their attack with this style of play. They could of course call back Andy Carroll from his loan at West Ham United but that looks unlikely to happen.
His Record
Other than the two seasons that Bent has been playing for Aston Villa, his record speaks for itself as he has been one of the highest scoring English strikers in the Premier League. In the 2009/2010 season he scored 25 goals for club and country and in the 2010/2011 season he scored 21 goals for club and country. These are small totals compared with some other high profile strikers but they show he still has the ability to be prolific if used in the right way and Liverpool need someone with those sorts of figures.
His Desire
Bent’s desire to play first team football would make any approach by Liverpool much easier and much more likely to happen. Bent has already spoken of his frustration this season and the current setup at Liverpool means that if he agreed a deal with the club, he is 99% certain of walking into the first team should he decide to join. That makes a move for the player appealing and his desire to play could push through any deal.
His Availability
Bent has made six starts in the Premier League this season with three appearances as a sub in games where he maybe thought he should have started. His goal count is two which will frustrate him but it’s apparent he is not Paul Lambert’s first choice striker. Therefore, his availability is more likely because he is not in the Aston Villa team every single week. It would not make sense for Liverpool to make any move for him if he was clearly the first choice striker at Villa this season.
image: © wonker
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