Up until the final day of the January transfer window, Bent's club-record ?18million move to Aston Villa was poised to be the biggest deal of the month.
But that figure was dwarfed by Carroll's ?35million switch from Newcastle to Liverpool and the ?50million Chelsea spent on prising Torres away from the Anfield club.
Reflecting on the transfer window, Bent said: "It was mad. More so because of Carroll's transfer to Liverpool because he has played half a season in the Premier League and gone for ?35million, so it is a bit crazy.
"Someone like Torres is proven in the top-flight and in my opinion is the best striker in the country, and if he goes for ?50million you kind of think fair enough.
"It was a bit crazy, but it is the way the game is going at the moment. The money is going up and the stakes are getting raised. People have got to do what they've got to do to get players in and get results."
Source: PA
Source: PA