Fulham plotting £12m January bid for Villa striker Bent – report

Fulham are plotting a £12m bid for Aston Villa striker Darren Bent when the transfer window opens in January, the Sunday Mirror report.

Bent has been dropped and stripped of the captaincy by manager Paul Lambert and it is claimed Fulham will offer the player a way out of Villa Park.

It comes after Whites boss Martin Jol indicated he would like to sign Bent, saying: “If your club wants to be top 10, you need strikers such as Darren Bent, who’ll score 15-20 goals a season.”

Chelsea could recall Romelu Lukaku from his season-long loan at West Brom in January, The People suggest.

The Blues have an option to take the striker back and are tipped to do so if he does not get a regular starting place for the Baggies.

The People also say Daniel Sturridge plans to reject loan offers and would rather leave Chelsea on a permanent basis in January.

Liverpool were interested in a loan deal for Sturridge earlier this year and are expected to make another attempt to sign him, but the forward is apparently not keen on a temporary move.

And The Sun on Sunday report that Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo has pleaded with owner Roman Abramovich to do whatever it takes to keep Ashley Cole at the club.

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