Striker no longer training with the Villa first team.
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Wantaway striker Darren Bent has been told not to turn up to first team training sessions according to The Birmingham Mail.
Bent looks certain to leave the club this summer and has reportedly been informed by the club’s manager, Paul Lambert, that he is not wanted at pre-season training.
Bent is Villa’s record signing having arrived from Sunderland for a fee of £24 million. But that appears to carry little weight with Lambert who has used the player sparingly since he took charge of the club last summer.
Lambert has instead preferred to play Belgian youngster Christian Benteke on his own up front, where the powerful forward has excelled and finished last season as Villa’s top scorer.
There are likely to be no shortage of suitors for Bent though with a number of Premier League sides thought to be ready to offer Bent a Villa Park escape route.
Newcastle are amongst the favourites to secure the player’s signature with manager Alan Pardew reportedly preparing an £8 million for the striker.
But it is understood that Bent will consider a move to any Premier League club as he looks to secure first team football. The 29 year old is reportedly keen to get regular action as he looks to re-establish himself in the England squad in time for next summer’s World Cup finals tournament in Brazil.