Aston Villa have confirmed the departure of club record signing Darren Bent after his contract expired, but the experienced centre-back Ron Vlaar has been offered a new contract.
Bent, who moved to Villa Park in January 2011 for £24m, has spent the last two seasons out on loan in the Championship. The 31-year-old, who has had loan spells at Fulham, Brighton and Derby in the last two seasons, has signed a two-year deal with Derby with the option for a third.
Villa also confirmed that Irish defender Enda Stevens and several under-21 players have also not been offered new deals.
However, Vlaar’s future could still be with the FA Cup finalists after the club revealed he had been offered a new deal. The Dutch international’s current contract expires at the end of the month.
Vlaar admitted after Villa’s FA Cup semi-final win over Liverpool in April that Sherwood’s appointment as manager had changed things for him at the club and he was considering staying.
The Holland international had previously been expected to leave the club he joined from Feyenoord in 2012. Sherwood had shelved any contract talks with Vlaar until Villa had secured their Premier League future, with the club eventually finishing 17th.
Vlaar, 30, has made 88 appearances for Villa and captained the side before Fabian Delph was given the armband this season. Southampton were interested in Vlaar last year after he excelled in Holland’s run to the World Cup semi-final, where they lost to Argentina in a penalty shoot-out with Vlaar missing from the spot.
