Town chairman David Sheepshanks says he is not expecting a Newcastle United bid for young striker Darren Bent, but admits that the club's financial situation means he cannot guarantee youngsters won't be sold.

Sheepshanks says he has had no new approach for Bent from the Magpies and would raise an eyebrow if one came in: "There has been no new bid for Darren, and I would be very surprised if there were to be one.”

Bent is the player the club least want to leave, however the chairman admits that his sale cannot be totally ruled out: “While we can never guarantee young players like Darren will never be sold due to our position, we have no intention of letting any of them go.

“On the contrary, Joe Royle is looking to build the team around these youngsters.”

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