Charlton Athletic are the latest Premiership club being linked with a move for Darren Bent. The striker is one of the Young Guns - the players Town most want to hang on to.

Bent has been linked with a number of Premiership clubs over the last year or so including Newcastle and Southampton but felt that remaining at Portman Road serves him best at this point in his career.

Namesake Marcus Bent, 26 yesterday, is a player the Blues will definitely be looking to off-load in the summer. The striker has just returned from a season-long loan with Leicester and is expected to leave Portman Road in the close season.

The Foxes are keen to keep him but would not be able to compete with the contracts offered by Scots giants Rangers and Celtic who have also been mentioned in connection with the much-travelled front man.

Bent has a year left on his Town deal but the club will not want to pay his £17,000-a-week wage for long.

With a number of clubs appearing to be interested in the ex-Blackburn striker, the Blues might manage to get a fee for Bent but nothing approaching the £3 million they paid for him in November 2001.

In addition to Bent, the Blues are also likely to want to rid themselves of the other two highest earners. Martijn Reuser has signalled his intention to leave, despite having a year left on his contract.

In Holland FC Twente and Willem II have both been reported to be interested in the midfielder.

Pablo Couñago, the club's highest-paid player, is another whose exit would please the Town money men. A move back to Spain seems the most likely, although the player himself has said he is keen to remain with the Blues.

In addition to the nine senior players out of contract at the end of June, coach Tony Mowbray's deal is also up.

Mogga is known to want to manage a club of his own and will discuss his position in the course of the next few weeks.

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