He's got lovely hair and a fetching goatee..........
David Bentley - Tottenham Hotspur
He's an England international, cost Spurs £15 million, and has scored a Premier League hat-trick against Manchester United, yet Dave Bentley is not feeling the love right now at White Hart Lane. After impressing hugely for Blackburn under Mark Hughes, Bentley got called up for England and was for a time labelled, "the next David Beckham" thanks mainly to his excellent crossing and free-kick taking. Times were looking good for Dave and he got a dream move to child-hood heroes Spurs for a whopping 15 mill. The honeymoon period didn't last too long though. Apart from a ridiculous 40-yard volley against bitter rivals Arsenal, the Spurs faithful didn't see a lot from Dave in the first year and a half at Tottenham and he was relegated to the bench to watch Aaron Lennon take charge of right wing duties. Dave and Spurs looked like they'd been to marriage counselling in the second half of last season, however, and due to an injury to Lennon, Bentley was back in the side and playing well. The summer was not one of love though it seems and so far this season Dave has been ditched again and has just made one appearance in the Carling Cup.
Surely there's someone who David can run into the open arms of............
Everton?
David Moyes loves attack minded midfielders. This seems to be an incontrovertible fact that has arisen over the last few years in the Premier League. With the likes of Cahill, Arteta, Bilyaletdinov, Osman, Fellaini and Pienaar all playing regularly at Goodison Park, Moyes has not even seen it necessary to play any strikers at all in the past (although injury may have had something to do with that). It has also been widely rumoured that Steven Pienaar's time at Everton is coming to an end with his contract expiring and many a big club sniffing around, there could just be a gap for our David to fill. Dave would certainly fit into the Everton side as he is a very creative midfielder himself, and playing alongside the likes of Cahill and Arteta could get the best out of him. When Everton are playing forwards they are an aerial threat in the shape of Yakubu and Saha, so David's whipped crosses could well prove deadly. Maybe a return to the North-West suit David and rekindle love of old.............
Liverpool?
Another Merseyside option perhaps for Mr. Bentley to get back the loving feeling. A very short time ago, it would be unheard of for someone who couldn't get into the Spurs side to be a potential target for the mighty Liverpool, but times have changed. The Anfield boys are nowhere near the side they were two or three years ago and they need to be realistic with their transfer targets, being linked with Wigan's erratic performer Charles N'Zogbia maybe proving that they are. David certainly has the qualities to be as good if not better than "Charlie Insomnia" and could be what Liverpool are looking for. Maxi Rodriguez has been in and out since coming to England (mostly out) Poulsen has been very poor, Kuyt is injured and they don't have very much strength in depth anymore. The service Dave could provide Fernando Torres couold potentially be a lethal combination, if the Spaniard ever finds his form again. A move to another huge club could get David's pulses racing again.............
Sunderland?
The Black Cats are a team that is hard to place in terms of what signings you'd expect them to make. They will make some big money, big name signings on occassion (Bent, Gyan, Gordon) and will also make some seemingly budget buys that bemuse a little (BRAMBLE!). David is just the kind of player Steve Bruce would like in his side though I feel, as they struggle for goals from everywhere on the field except from the boots of Darren Bent, and although he's never been prolific, his time at Blackburn shows he can contribute 5-10 goals a season, which is respectable. Bruce has been relying on loan signings Danny Welbeck and Ahmed Al-Muhammadi and other creative midfielders Zenden and Malbranque arn't getting any younger, this could mean David is just what The Mackems are looking for. Is love in the air around the Stadium Of Light............?
So who's going for the slow dance at the end of the disco together?
David Bentley certainly has the quality to play for most clubs around, and whilst looking for a dream partner there were certainly clubs in other top flights around Europe where I think Dave would find a lovely match. Certainly in Italy where his lack of express pace wouldn't be such an issue as it is here. However, I don't see Dave wanting to head off with a foreign lover right now, but he has to choose carefully over his next partner. Liverpool are the best looking girl in the bar, but are they going to treat him as shabbily as his current other half does? Quite possibly. Dirk Kuyt may be out now but he seems to have engraved his own name onto the right flank of Anfield and it could mean more bench time for David. This leaves The Toffees and The Black Cats, either of which I think David would really find to be a lovely partner. He'd most likely go straight into the first team of either and if he gets back to his old form of the Blackburn days, the fans couldn't fail to love him. As I have to pick one for him, I'm going to say, due to the likely departure of Steven Pienaar that Dave should maybe be getting his mate to ask Everton out for him. Will David Moyes make sparks fly in January?
Liverpool, Everton, Sunderland fans, do you want David at your club? Do you think he'll match your team's ethos?
Spurs fans, is it time to let him go and find a new love?
Who else wants a piece of the Bentley action?
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