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David Bentley has been lined up in a sensational £15million player-plus-cash move to Manchester City.

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is close to a £5m deal for City’s Bulgarian left winger Martin Petrov.

But big-spending City and Tottenham are also discussing a last-gasp deal for England international Bentley to go the other way, with cash also changing hands.

Bentley, 25, who last week was banned from driving for 12 months for a drink-driving offence, joined Tottenham for £15m a year ago.

But he has struggled to win a regular spot and also lost his place in the England set-up as he has failed to win over the Spurs fans.

Everton, Aston Villa and Sunderland have all been interested in signing Bentley and Spurs are prepared to sell - as long as they can bring in a replacement.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is also demanding that he gets back almost all of his £15m outlay on the former Blackburn winger.

That has put off other clubs, and Everton even failed with a loan bid, but mega-rich City have the finances to sign Bentley and add the England winger to their expensively assembled squad.

City boss Mark Hughes managed Bentley during their time together at Blackburn and helped turn the former Arsenal trainee into an England international.

That prompted Tottenham to enquire about a possible player-plus-cash deal involving Petrov, 30, who was yesterday pulled out of the Bulgarian national squad to allow him to discuss a move to White Hart Lane.

Petrov nearly went to Tottenham two years ago but, after suffering a long-term knee injury, is now surplus to requirements at City.

But Tottenham are anxious to boost their squad after losing Croatian international Luka Modric for up to three months through injury.

Tottenham also made a cheeky enquiry to take Portsmouth’s Croatian midfielder Niko Kranjcar on loan, but now appear to be getting Petrov




i like pet, but bentley is only 25 and pet is 30, so i think if this comes off, its a good deal for us

Sky sports understands that City and Spurs are in talks about David Bentley

bentley is a good player and on his day he is quality. Also i just think he will provide cover and nothing else but anyone could have guessed that.

wow, are we getting Petrov?

Don Fabio should be very glad for England if MH will be able to rebuild a new David Bentley at Eastlands!!!

I know we got the money but Bently worth 10m more than Petrov?? That's crazy talk! We are getting backup for right wing too? Wheres this leave Weiss?? I dont get it we have 3 players right now who can play on the right and 2 on the left yet we are talking about selling our only true left winger for another right winger? leaving 4 RW and 1 LW? (remove Rob and Tevez from that whos position ain't the best on the wing compared to their favoured position and your left with no left and 3 right)

Renato_CTID wrote:Don Fabio should be very glad for England if MH will be able to rebuild a new David Bentley at Eastlands!!!

Don Fabio seems to be fairly content with SWP, Lennon and Walcott.

Also makes me worry Hughes will get his old friends at any cost to the team thus not putting the team first. I started to come round to Hughes this season but this deal could really change things for me.

Niall Quinns Discopants wrote:

Renato_CTID wrote:Don Fabio should be very glad for England if MH will be able to rebuild a new David Bentley at Eastlands!!!

Don Fabio seems to be fairly content with SWP, Lennon and Walcott.

If Bentley rediscovers his form for us, Spuds, Everton or whoever he'll be back in the England squad & possibly starting ahead of those 3. It's all up to him. Reading his history, talent never seems to have been the problem, it's his mentality; gambling, mental problems etc, etc. Hughes may think he knows how to fix him. Some managers have that connection with certain players, perhaps MH does with him. Hope is that if he does come, he sees this as an opportunity & gets stuck in. He'll never get a better chance to make a name for himself.

not happy about this at all and to me seems like Mark just wants to get rid of anything he hasn't signed

SSN Understands that t would be Bentley on loan to us with Petrov staying a blue. That would be a win win situation for us.

razor400 wrote:SSN Understands that t would be Bentley on loan to us with Petrov staying a blue. That would be a win win situation for us.

That's better. Although I still have no idea where we'd use Bentley. Maybe to clean SWP's boots?

razor400 wrote:SSN Understands that t would be Bentley on loan to us with Petrov staying a blue. That would be a win win situation for us.

Interesting but that would mean Harry REALLY wants him out. Maybe his head's gone.

Ted Hughes wrote:

razor400 wrote:SSN Understands that t would be Bentley on loan to us with Petrov staying a blue. That would be a win win situation for us.

Interesting but that would mean Harry REALLY wants him out. Maybe his head's gone.

Which begs the question why that is? Could be the drink-driving sentence. When Harry was in that car crash in Italy 1990, didn't he crash with someone who had been drinking? Or is my memory playing tricks with me?

Bentley's a crackin talent imo.

If Hughes could get the best out of him again then he'd be an excellent addition.

Niall Quinns Discopants wrote:

Ted Hughes wrote:

razor400 wrote:SSN Understands that t would be Bentley on loan to us with Petrov staying a blue. That would be a win win situation for us.

Interesting but that would mean Harry REALLY wants him out. Maybe his head's gone.

Which begs the question why that is? Could be the drink-driving sentence. When Harry was in that car crash in Italy 1990, didn't he crash with someone who had been drinking? Or is my memory playing tricks with me?

I'm not sure myself but I've definitely heard people say that recently.

Would be every bit as stupid a deal as Barca giving Inter £40m and Eto'o for Ibrahimovic.

Smacks of desperation this one, add to the fact that Bentley wouldn't even get into our side, he isn't even good enough to get into the Spuds line-up, so why bother?.

Would put a dampner on a fantastic day so far..........................TBH (GONE), Dunne (GONE), Benjani (please just GO).

When SSN understands anything to do with a Redknapp club it normally means the source is him.

I think he has them on his speed dial. Knowing that f**cker he's telling him that so he cant drive down the price for another deal pretending to have no money whilst still taking the 10M from us.

Niall Quinns Discopants wrote:

razor400 wrote:SSN Understands that t would be Bentley on loan to us with Petrov staying a blue. That would be a win win situation for us.

That's better. Although I still have no idea where we'd use Bentley. Maybe to clean SWP's boots?

Bentley is a far better crosser.

conkers wrote:

Niall Quinns Discopants wrote:

razor400 wrote:SSN Understands that t would be Bentley on loan to us with Petrov staying a blue. That would be a win win situation for us.

That's better. Although I still have no idea where we'd use Bentley. Maybe to clean SWP's boots?

Bentley is a far better crosser.

I agree he is

But swp is the better dribbler and has the better workrate, stronger and can tackle..

Shauny is used more of a central midfielder that edges out wide, we would have to change our whole line up to play with bentley as like petrov he is an out n out winger..

Would be a nice option of playing the 2 big lads uptop 2 real wingers and 2 holders in the middle wouldnt it?...Get the crosses in