Sunderland AFC nailed it with Spurs transfer that went on to make them a profit | OneFootball

Sunderland's £10 million deal with Tottenham Hotspur ended up being a steal

Before Sunderland became a hotbed for turning young talent into stars, they turned a tidy profit on the deal to sign Darren Bent from Tottenham Hotspur.

The forward made the move to the Stadium of Light in the summer of 2009, with the Black Cats preparing for their third consecutive top flight campaign.

Steve Bryce had just been put in charge of the team following Ricky Sbragia’s time as interim manager coming to an end.

The Wearside outfit finished the 2008/09 season in 16th place, avoiding relegation by just two points over their bitter rivals Newcastle United.

It was clear that the team needed goals, with only 19th place Middlesbrough scoring fewer in the entire division.

A £10 million deal with Spurs, via the Guardian, was a make or break moment for the club if they were to remain in the Premier League long-term.

Darren Bent’s impact at Sunderland

Bent made an instant impact at Sunderland, scoring his first goal for the club in a 1-0 win over Bolton Wanderers on the opening day of the campaign.

The striker went on to score 24 goals that season, the third most of anyone in the entire Premier League, with only Wayne Rooney and Didier Drogba finding the back of the net more frequently.

The Englishman featured in all 38 of the team’s league fixtures, and also registered one assist as well.

He was a crucial part of the side, contributing memorable moments like in the 1-0 win over Arsenal in November where his goal separated the two teams.

Bent also scored the winner against Liverpool in controversial fashion, with his strike hitting a beach ball on the way into the net.

The now 40-year-old enjoyed the best season of his career, even scoring a hat-trick against Bolton in the reverse fixture in March, as well as in five consecutive games from 12 September to 17 October, with Sunderland earning 10 points from that run.

Given the pressure he was under with the £10 million price tag, he more than delivered, with Bruce’s team finishing 13th in the table on 44 points, 13 clear of 18th place Burnley.

Aston Villa’s Darren Bent move

Bent made a strong start to his second campaign at the Stadium of Light, scoring eight from 20 appearances in the league.

This led to Sunderland selling the forward in January 2011, with Aston Villa making an £18 million offer, according to JOE.

While losing him was a blow to the team, Sunderland still finished that season 10th in the table without him, their best league finish since 2001.

The £18 million was a record sale for the club at the time, which has only been eclipsed by Jordan Pickford’s departure in 2017 to Everton.

A striker of his calibre is always going to be hard to come by, it was even more difficult for the club to turn down such a nice profit after only 18 months of his time in Wearside.

Sunderland’s current model means it is surely just a matter of time before that £18 million barrier is reached again, but they’ll be hoping it will be for someone who made just as big an impact as Bent did.