Why Middlesbrough should sign Darren Bent until the end of the season
Middlesbrough had a very busy January transfer window, with Tony Pulis successfully managing to land Danny Bath, Rajiv van La Parra and John Obi Mikel at the Riverside.
Despite signing Van La Parra on loan from Huddersfield Town, Tony Pulis was keen to add another attacker to his squad, with Yannick Bolasie being heavily linked. Bolasie was about to join Middlesbrough on loan from Everton but instead, he opted to join Aston Villa.
Although the move to Villa Park was successful initially, Bolasie decided to cut his loan spell short and returned to Everton in January, where he was immediately sent to Belgian side Anderlecht on a short-term deal. There were no concrete talks of signing Bolasie but it looked as if Tony Pulis was interested in taking the DR Congo international on loan until the end of the season.
Middlesbrough have lacked a reliable goalscorer this season, with neither of Jordan Hugill, Rudy Gestede and Britt Assombalonga delivering the goods consistently. Boro should have added an out-and-out striker after a fine run of form over the past few months that has seen them push into contention for a playoff spot, with the side currently in fifth place.
Although the winter transfer window has slammed shut, Pulis has the option to take a dip in the free agent market to add a striker. Keeping that in mind, the Boro manager should hand Darren Bent a deal until the end of the season.
Darren Bent, 35, has been without a club since being released by Derby County at the end of the 2017/18 campaign. It’s a surprise to see the veteran striker without a club, a player who scored 55 goals in 141 games for Ipswich Town in the early 2000s after emerging from the youth ranks.
The former Tottenham and Sunderland centre-forward has suffered a fair share of hamstring problems in the last few years but at 35, Darren Bent still has something left in his tank to offer.
Of course, injuries and age have affected his pace and agility with which he terrorised defenders in his prime in the Premier League but one simply cannot take away the amount of experience he has gathered by playing in England over the years.
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On a short-term deal, Darren Bent would be a shrewd addition for Middlesbrough, who look like real contenders to get promoted under Pulis.