Bent hauled off Spurs' flight for Sunderland talks

Darren Bent was hauled off Tottenham's plane bound for China on Monday night and told he was being sold to Sunderland, according to reports.

NigelFrench/Empics

Bent: Swapped Spurs for Sunderland

The striker was already in his seat when the call came in, and had to get his bags off the aircraft as it sat on the tarmac.

Tottenham's signing of Peter Crouch paved the way for Bent's departure, and he will meet Black Cats boss Steve Bruce for talks on Tuesday.

A fee of around £15m is reported to have been agreed with the striker desperate to call time on his White Hart Lane career.

A car was reportedly put on stand by at Heathrow airport, as painstaking negotiations continued between the two clubs.

Tottenham were keen to recoup most of the £16.5m fee they paid Charlton for Bent back in the summer of 2007.

And at the last minute Spurs chairman Daniel Levy and his opposite number Niall Quinn struck a deal, prompting the club to haul Bent off the plane.

Spurs' new signing Crouch was unable to make the flight for Beijing, where Spurs take on West Ham on Wednesday in the Asia Trophy.

He will now begin training with his new team-mates on their return from China next Monday.