Aston Villa boss Alex McLeish won't rule out selling Darren Bent in January.

QPR are interested in Bent, 27, who cost £18million from Sunderland a year ago.

McLeish said: "I wouldn't think anybody can afford Darren. I wouldn't think so.

"It is very much a kind of juggling of the balls at the moment.

"We have got to trade carefully so that means I can't just go into the market without there being a kind of balance.

"But losing a striker of Darren's ability would be difficult to replace.

"His goals last season were a vital part of Villa's season in terms of keeping them up."