How many times should a club continue to pursue a player before they look desperate? Sometimes a side should just take the hint and accept that he's just not that into you. While the overweight and profligate Aston Villa reserve striker that is Darren Bent would be lucky to even be considered by Stoke City these days, he has snubbed them on two occasions in the last five years, and not in very mannerly ways either. In July 2009, the Potters were locked in a three-pronged battle for Bent's signature with Hull City and Sunderland, with the latter ultimately winning out. The transfer battle was, of course, infamous for Bent's petulant handling of the saga, using Twitter as a medium to launch a scathing attack at Spurs chairman Daniel Levy.
''Do I wanna go Hull City NO. Do I wanna go stoke NO do I wanna go sunderland YES so stop f***** around, Levy. Sunderland are not the problem in the slightest.'' - Darren Bent, July 2009.
The second, and most recent, dismissal of the Potters came last summer, when Mark Hughes was prepared to offer the former England international an escape route out of Villa Park.
''We looked at Darren in the summer, but we were told he wouldn't come to Stoke, or his agent said he wouldn't. We didn't even get a chance to deliberate the point, to be honest.'' - Mark Hughes, October 2013.
Recent Journalism & New Media graduate. Insatiable thirst for all things football, and hopes to break into the field of sports journalism in the near future.
Have made a significantly insignificant playing career out of receiving several slaps around the head for not passing the ball.
