England's Soccer: Bent giving up Premiership to stay in Charlton

London, England (Sports Network) - After much speculation about a move to West Ham, striker Darren Bent put all rumors to rest on Thursday, agreeing to a new contract that will keep him with Charlton.
The Addicks are coming off a disappointing season in the Premiership where they finished with only eight wins. Since the club was relegated with the second worst record in the league, there were rumors that Bent would switch teams to stay in the top flight.
West Ham and Tottenham both showed serious interest the 23-year-old England international, but in the end Bent decided to stay put.
"We set a valuation for Darren and West Ham were the only club prepared to meet that valuation," said Charlton chief executive Peter Varney. "This morning we gave them permission to speak to Darren, which he did, and he has decided not to join West Ham."
A move to West Ham was thought to be intriguing because it would have re- united Bent with former manager Alan Curbishley. It was Curbishley who brought Bent to Charlton two years ago from Ipswich.
Bent has netted 31 league goals in 68 starts since joining the Addicks in January of 2005. In his first season with the club Bent collected 22 goals, 18 in the Premiership, before posting 13 goals in the Premiership last season.
Charlton is a 6-1 favorite to win the Championship next season.
"We therefore look forward to Darren starting with us in the Championship next season, which is a massive boost to our chances of returning to the Premier League," said Varney.