Paul Faulkner: 'Darren Bent going nowhere'

Aston Villa CEO Paul Faulkner has insisted that Darren Bent will not be leaving the club in January.

Doubts over the striker's future at Villa Park had arisen after the recent departures of Stewart Downing and Ashley Young.

"We will keep Darren Bent, plain and simple," Faulkner told BBC Sport.

"I'd not even thought about it - maybe that gives an indication of the club's mentality. I am very confident we can keep players at Aston Villa."

The West Midlands side travel to Swansea City in the Premier League on Sunday.