Charlton manager Alan Pardew has confirmed that former Town striker Darren Bent will leave the Valley if the Addicks are relegated. Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur are both reported to be lining up £10 million bids for the England international.
Pardew said: "That has been the situation of players coming out of the Premiership and is usually the situation in terms of the top players.
"I was at West Ham when they tried to hang on to Jermain Defoe and that didn't work out."
Bent moving on would be good news for the Blues with Town due 20% of any profit Charlton make on the £2.6 million they have so far paid for the 23-year-old.
A £10 million fee would add £1.48 million to Jim Magilton's transfer budget, which also looks likely to be boosted by the expected new investment facilitated by the agreement reached with Morley Fund Management regarding a write-down of the £28 million owed on the bond taken out to build the two new stands.
The Blues could also profit from Bent making his first appearance for England in a competitive international prior to his Charlton exit. England play Estonia in a Euro 2008 qualifier on June 6th with Everton's Andy Johnson almost certain to miss out as he is undergoing ankle surgery as soon as the domestic season is at an end.
Town are due to receive £200,000 after each of Bent's first two competitive England caps.
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