Aston Villa have slapped an £18 million price-tag on Darren Bent.

The Daily Mail says Villa are willing to listen to offers but have set the price at the original figure they paid to Sunderland for the forward just two years ago.

Bent has fallen out of favour at Villa Park and has not even made Villa's matchday squad on occasion during the past few weeks although he was on the bench for the visit to QPR last week.

With the price being a stumbling block, it may be that Paul Lambert is persuaded to look at a potential player-plus-cash swap deal as Villa's best way out of a tricky situation.