Steve Bruce insists Sunderland Football Club will not consider offers for Darren Bent in the summer.

The striker was signed from Tottenham Hotspur in a £10million deal last summer, and he has responded with twenty goals in as many Premier League games.

This has led to speculation some of the division’s so-called bigger clubs may try and take Bent at the end of the season, but Bruce is sure Black Cats owner Ellis Short won’t pressure him to sell.

"The advantage of having a wealthy owner and a sound financial base is that I'm under no pressure to sell," he told the Sunday Mirror. "We want to build a team, not try to dismantle one.

“Our aim is to build a team around Darren Bent and the others. We've got an outstanding chance of keeping hold of our best players. That's a massive thing for me as a manager."

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