MLS, Darren Bent in talks?

Via Dailmail.co.uk

Bent at the "Rocky Stairs" in Philadelphia

A source familiar with Darren Bent has said that Bent's agent and MLS have begun preliminary talks to bring the 30 year old English striker to MLS.

The source says talks started this week, after parent club Aston Villa had a meeting with Bent to let him know he wouldn't be in their plans next year. The club he's on loan with, Fulham, have also indicated that if Bent wanted back, he would need to restructure his deal, most likely at a pay cut as Bent's play, lack of playing time, and the club looking at relegation all would factor in to a new deal.

After a mind-blowing 09-10 campaign with Sunderland in which Bent scored 24 Premier League goals, he was transferred to Aston Villa in 2011 for a record $33 million. Bent's formed has significantly dropped since then, in which he has accumulated 24 league goals over the past 4 seasons.

As recent as 2012, Bent was optimistic about MLS.  "The MLS is improving all the time," Bent said in this interview with the Philadelphia Union website. "The standards keep on going up. I have been impressed with the MLS; it's definitely getting better and better."

Transfermrkt has Bent's transfer value at about $6.9 million. 

More information is bound to swarm in, so we'll be exclusively posting on this post.

Update 4/24/14: Same source says Crystal Palace may be putting in a bid for Bent for around $5.5 million come the start of the summer transfer window. No updates of MLS and Bent since the original report.