Darren Bent has revealed that he could have signed for Paris Saint-German back in 2011 but opted to stay in England with Aston Villa.
Speaking on Talksport Drive, Bent said that he did have conversations with then-PSG boss Carlo Ancelotti about a move, but decided against it after giving it some thought.
“A few opportunities came up for me to go abroad, but the timing was not right.
“There was one after my first season in Sunderland. Galatasaray and Fenerbahce both came in but, first season, no, that was a non-starter.
“And then a conversation came up after I went to Villa. I had that really impactful season from January onwards, scoring goals and keeping Villa up. PSG, Carlo Ancelotti, we had conversations. But again, I had just come to Villa.
“At that time, at Villa, I absolutely loved it. I was so happy where I was.”
PSG at that time had been purchased by Qatari Sports Investment so weren’t short on other options following Bent’s rejection, going on to sign Alex, Maxwell and Thiago Motta.
Bent enjoyed a good 2011/12 season with Villa after signing with them in January 2011, bagging nine goals in 16 league goals as the Villains finished 9th. He stayed with the club until 2015 before moving to Derby County.