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Spurs sign £16.5m Bent

Tottenham have completed the signing of Darren Bent from Charlton in a club record £16.5 million deal.

Bent completed the formalities of the deal on Thursday evening. He has agreed a deal "up to six years", according to the club's announcement on the Stock Exchange.

The 23-year-old's arrival shatters the £11 million that Spurs paid for Sergei Rebrov.

Bent said: "Tottenham have a lot of young English players and it's a young squad, it's a squad going forward and that's the direction I wanted to take.

"They seem to be getting better and better every season and I would love to be part of that. It helps a lot that I know a few of the lads from England internationals and I'm sure they will help me settle in."

The transfer fee will be paid over the next three years in instalments and it is understood the final £1 million of the deal is performance-related.

Bent's 15 goals last season could not prevent Alan Pardew's men escaping the drop and his move from The Valley had been anticipated since defeat to Spurs when relegation was sealed in the final week of the campaign.

He bolsters a Spurs attack that scored more than 60 goals last season, and that was without Mido who is expected to leave White Hart Lane.

Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane were Jol's first choice for the big games, with Jermain Defoe adding 18 goals as the third striker.