Sunderland manager Steve Bruce has issued a ‘hands-off’ warning to any clubs considering a move for striker Darren Bent.
Bent, a £10m capture from Tottenham in 2009, finished among the top goalscorers in the Premier League last season and has made a fine start to the current campaign with five goals so far.
Manchester United have emerged as possible suitors following Wayne Rooney’s announcement that he wants to leave Old Trafford, and Bruce accepts Bent’s form was always going to attract interest.
But the Black Cats boss has no plans on parting with one of his most prized assets.
Bruce said: “When you see the records and goalscoring charts Benty is always up there. Rooney, Drogba, Bent. I hope nothing will happen.
“That is a problem all managers face from time to time. It is the nature of football that there are merry-go-rounds but I don’t want to pre-empt it. It is always the hard part.
“I face it at Wigan a few times when I had (Antonio) Valencia and (Wilson) Palacios and knew they were going. It is always a worry.
“At Sunderland we can turn everything down but silly money. Ultimately, as we have witnessed at Man U, player power is unbelievable.
“For us to part with Benty... it is something we won’t even entertain.”
However, Bruce then went on to admit: “...if Manchester United come in then you will be struggling.
“You can tell players under contract that they have to stay. You can go down that route, but how many times have we seen it. We are talking hypothetically here but players have downed tools. It is not a healthy one but that is football. It is the unfortunate side of football and if it comes you deal with it.”